News

New Florida Chamber Statewide Poll Shows Donald Trump & Rick Scott Begin 2024 General Election Campaigns in Florida Leading Their Democratic Opponents, While Governor Ron DeSantis Remains Popular with Floridians

The most recent Florida Chamber statewide poll finds both Donald Trump and Rick Scott leading their Democratic opponents. Trump and Scott each lead their respective opponents by double digits among NPAs and older voters. The Florida Chamber’s new poll also finds Governor DeSantis retaining strong approval among Floridians, with 55% of Floridian voters holding a favorable view of the Governor. “The Florida Chamber Political Operations team constantly analyzes ChamberHub, the Florida Chamber’s exclusive voter file,…

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National Council on Compensation Insurance Filed Proposed 2025 Workers’ Comp Rates

Last Friday, the Florida Chamber of Commerce met with the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) to review the proposed 2025 workers’ compensation rates. NCCI, which files rate recommendations on behalf of Florida insurers, has proposed an average rate decrease of one percent. If approved, this decrease will contribute to a cumulative reduction of 78 percent since the reforms the Florida Chamber championed in 2003. Factors influencing this year’s rate filing include a reduction in…

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Why Florida Businesses Must Act Now on OSHA’s New Heat Safety Rule

Update (September 3, 2024): This article has been updated to reflect the publication of OSHA’s new heat safety rule on August 30, 2024, and the start of the 120-day comment period. As Florida businesses continue to navigate the challenges of protecting their workforce, an opportunity has emerged to shape national standards on heat safety. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has officially published the nation’s first federal rule on heat illness prevention, aimed at…

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The State of Florida’s Mid-Year and Economic Landscape: As Predicted, GDP, Jobs, and Population Are All Up, but Migration Trends Could Impact Florida’s Workforce Supply

Access the 2024 Florida Business & Economic Mid-Year Report HERE>. Today, the Florida Chamber Foundation released its 2024 Florida Business & Economic Mid-Year Report, an analysis of the local and national economic data impacting the way Florida does business. This annual mid-year report aims to keep Florida leaders in the know regarding Florida’s economic headwinds and tailwinds, serving as a level set to guide them through the remainder of the year as they plan and budget for 2025.  While…

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Working Together for Florida’s Future Economy and Workforce

Co-Authored By: Mark Wilson, President, Florida Chamber of Commerce & Foundation and Adrienne Johnston, President & CEO, CareerSource Florida When it comes to Florida’s economy and potential, Florida leads the nation in several ways. Thanks to investments in infrastructure, workforce development, and a business-friendly environment under Gov. Ron DeSantis, we are national leaders in job growth. We have a low unemployment rate and a high rate of new business formations, and we are the #1…

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Celebrating the 46 Florida-Based 2024 Olympic Athletes Going for the Gold in Paris

Competing in the Olympic Games is no easy feat, and as the 46 Florida-based athletes listed below prepare to compete July 26 – August 11, 2024 in Paris, we would like to wish them all the best! Perry Parker, Daytona Beach – Rugby Aaliyah Butler, Fort Lauderdale – Track and Field Danielle Collins, St. Petersburg – Tennis Benjamin Cremaschi, Miami – Soccer Tamari Davis, Gainesville – Track and Field Jeremiah Davis, Lehigh Acres – Track…

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Florida Chamber Safety Council Launches Innovative Platform to Enhance Employer Efforts in Workplace Heat Safety

Today, the Florida Chamber Safety Council, a program of the Florida Chamber Leadership Cabinet on Safety, Health and Sustainability, launched a groundbreaking online resource that houses essential information and solutions aimed at assisting Florida employers in doubling down on their commitment to heat safety in the workplace. This cutting-edge platform, curated by nationally recognized safety, health, and industry experts, showcases a diverse range of tools specifically designed for businesses whose employees are exposed to extreme…

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Makayla Buchanan Selected for U.S. Chamber Foundation Education and Workforce Fellowship Program

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation recently announced that Makayla Buchanan, Director of Early Learning & Literacy of the Florida Chamber Foundation was selected to participate in the tenth cohort of its premiere business leadership program. The Business Leads Fellowship Program trains and equips leaders from state and local chambers of commerce, economic development agencies, and trade associations with resources, access to experts, and a network of peers to build their capacity…

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Manufacturing is a Major Opportunity in Florida

By: Mark Wilson, President, Florida Chamber of Commerce & Foundation Recognizing the essential role manufacturing plays in the growth of a diverse economy, one of the Florida 2030 Blueprint’s goals for Florida is to significantly grow Florida into a top 5 state for manufacturing jobs. Since the release of the Blueprint in 2018, Florida has added 58,300 manufacturing jobs, now ranking #11 in the country – solidly surpassing New York and behind Georgia by 8,000…

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Florida Chamber of Commerce Announces Second Round of 2024 Legislative Endorsements

The Florida Chamber of Commerce is again uniting Florida’s business community to help make Florida more competitive, and today endorsed a bipartisan list of 19 additional candidates running for election this year. These candidates underwent a thorough vetting by the business community as part of the Florida Chamber Political Institute’s Candidate Interview process.  Covering five cities over six weeks, more than 80 business organizations joined together to interview over 100 candidates for state legislative office.…

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Florida’s Economy Shows High Growth, Dips One Spot to 16th Largest Global Economy

By: Keith Richard, Ph.D., Vice President of Research, Florida Chamber Foundation Newly released data reflected on TheFloridaScorecard.org for 2023 shows that if Florida were an independent country, it would be ranked the 16th largest economy in the world by gross domestic product (GDP). This represents a change from Florida’s previous GDP ranking as the 15th largest economy in the world. While on the surface this may seem concerning, Florida’s latest annual GDP stands at $1.58…

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New Education Scores Show Movement Towards Florida 2030 Blueprint Goals

By: Sheridan Morby, Senior Research Economist, Florida Chamber Foundation Florida’s latest 3rd and 8th-grade reading scores were recently released, reflecting progress toward Florida 2030-related education goals. According to TheFloridaScorecard.org, 3rd-grade reading scores increased by 5 percentage points to 55%, while 8th-grade reading scores rose 4 percentage points to 51%. Math scores were also released, showing a slight increase in 3rd-grade math proficiency to 60%, while 8th-grade math proficiency dipped by 1 percentage point to 54%. Click HERE to…

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BREAKING NEWS: Net Income Migration to Florida Remains Above $4M Per Hour, Significantly More Than Any Other State

By: Kyle Baltuch, Executive Vice President, Florida Chamber Foundation As the Florida Chamber Foundation works towards achieving the ambitious Florida 2030 Blueprint mission of growing Florida’s economy to the 10th largest in the world by 2030, the latest income migration numbers are showing that Florida continues to grow at a rapid pace. Once again, Florida is leading the nation, with over $36.05 billion in net income moving into our state each year. While this is…

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Florida Chamber Foundation Releases Florida Workforce Needs Study 2.0 Research to Further Address Florida’s Talent Skills Gaps

Access the Florida Workforce Needs Study 2.0 HERE> The Florida Chamber Foundation’s Florida 2030 Blueprint established a unifying goal of growing Florida to the 10th largest economy in the world by 2030. Within the Six Pillars Framework outlined in the Blueprint, the “Talent Supply and Education” pillar stands as the first area to address to achieve the bold vision. In response to the pressing workforce crisis faced in Florida and throughout the nation, this morning,…

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Florida Chamber of Commerce Announces First Round of 2024 Legislative Endorsements

The Florida Chamber of Commerce continues to unite Florida’s business community to help make Florida more competitive, and today endorsed a bipartisan list of eighty current and former legislators running for election this year. These legislators have a strong track record of securing Florida’s future by regularly promoting free enterprise and job creation. These endorsements are based, in large part, on Legislator’s actual grades earned on The Florida Chamber of Commerce Legislative Report Card. “The Florida…

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