News

Florida Chamber of Commerce Endorses U.S. Senator Rick Scott for Reelection

Florida Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Mark Wilson stood with former Florida Governor and U.S. Senator Rick Scott yesterday in Tampa at a local manufacturing facility to announce the rollout of the “Small Business for Rick Scott” coalition and formally announce the Florida Chamber of Commerce’s endorsement of his reelection to the U.S. Senate. In addition to providing remarks at the press conference, Mark Wilson released the following quote in support of Senator Rick…

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New Florida Chamber Statewide Poll Shows Donald Trump and Rick Scott Begin 2024 Campaigns With Leads, While Governor Ron DeSantis Remains Popular With Floridians

The latest Florida Chamber statewide poll finds both Donald Trump and Rick Scott leading their likely Democratic opponents. Trump and Scott each lead their respective opponents among Hispanics, White voters and older voters. The Florida Chamber’s poll also finds Governor DeSantis retaining strong approval amongst Floridians, with 56% of Floridians giving the Governor a favorable review of his job performance as Florida’s chief executive. Trump, Scott Lead Democratic Opponents in Florida The Florida Chamber’s poll…

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Florida Chamber Health Council Unveils the Nation’s First Business-Led Mental Health Research Report at 2024 Leadership Conference

This morning, the Florida Chamber Health Council unveiled the first business-led mental health research report in the nation aimed at uniting the business community, mental health experts, and policymakers on 25 strategies for creating systemic change to improve mental health outcomes in and out of the workplace. CLICK HERE> to access the report and contact the Health Council to learn how you can get involved with our  efforts to make Florida the healthiest state in…

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Is Florida’s Housing Market in Trouble? The Difference Between Headlines and Analysis

By: Kyle Baltuch, Executive Vice President, Florida Chamber Foundation Over the past month or so, a number of inflammatory headlines have sparked a conversation throughout Florida. Is Florida’s housing market in trouble? Here’s the problem with these headlines. They lack context, rely on seemingly short-sighted analysis, and ultimately jump to a conclusion that may not be correct. These articles paint a picture of a weakening housing market, relying primarily on a couple of distinct points:…

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Additional Staffing and Restructuring to Advance the Florida Chamber Foundation Mission

The Executive Team at the Florida Chamber of Commerce and Florida Chamber Foundation continues to be strategic and intentional in our efforts to execute our 6-year, $105 million strategic plan. This involves continually keeping a pulse on the best way to approach our goals and aligning the right talent and programs along the way. With that in mind, today, our Chamber Foundation is announcing the promotion of Kyle Baltuch to Executive Vice President and Rachel…

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Florida Legislature Passes Multiple Florida Chamber Priorities, Making Florida Even More Competitive

Florida Chamber sees passage of multiple Chamber priorities that create regulatory certainty, improvements in education and workforce, protect critical infrastructure, further address affordability issues, improve access to healthcare and more as Florida continues its path to be the state other states look to for leadership and economic growth Florida’s Legislative Session by the Numbers: 1,901 Bills and PCBs filed; over 320 bills passed both chambers Florida Chamber of Commerce testified approximately 150 times on legislation impacting job…

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‘Live Healthy’ Legislation Focused on Strengthening Florida’s Healthcare Workforce Headed to the Governor’s Desk

By: Sarah Katherine Massey, Director of Talent, Education & Quality of Life Policy, Florida Chamber of Commerce With the Florida Chamber’s support, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo has spent this legislative session prioritizing how to address the current and anticipated future healthcare workforce shortages in Florida. Her healthcare package titled ‘Live Healthy’ is now headed to Governor Ron DeSantis for his signature after passing with overwhelming support. The Florida Chamber of Commerce advocated for efforts to address Florida’s healthcare workforce needs as a robust talent pipeline advances the Florida 2030…

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Inflation Continues to Cool in 2024 but at a Slower Rate Than Expected

By: Sheridan Meek, Senior Research Economist, Florida Chamber Foundation Rising inflation concerns have been on the top of both consumer and business leaders’ minds heading into 2024. Beginning in 2021, inflation in the U.S. started to climb rapidly, hitting its peak in mid-2022. Since then, inflation has experienced a period of cooling, but still remains well above the stable levels from years prior. The first inflation rate release of 2024 shows that inflation is continuing…

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Floridians’ Outlook on the Economy Hits Highest Level in the Past Two Years

By: Sheridan Meek, Senior Research Economist, Florida Chamber Foundation TheFloridaScorecard.org stays up to date with Florida’s latest consumer sentiment – an indexed metric that measures Floridians’ outlook on the economy. Consumer sentiment among Floridians was 72.8 in January, an increase of 3.3 points over the month, and 7.5 points over the year. This is the most positive outlook Floridians have had in over 2 years. After 2022 and 2023 having the first and third worst…

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Member Spotlight: Lake-Sumter State College

    We sat down with Dr. Heather Bigard, President of Lake Sumter State College to ask a few important questions: Q: What does your business do? A: Founded in 1962, Lake-Sumter State College (LSSC) offers a high-quality education at an affordable price to the communities of Lake and Sumter counties. LSSC embraces its mission as a community college to increase access and opportunity for all learners in its community. As a proud member of the Florida College…

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Leading Voices: Three Questions with Juan Chaluja, SVP Market Leadership, Florida Blue

      We sat down with Florida Chamber Board of Director Member Juan Chaluja, SVP Market Leadership with Florida Blue to answer three important questions: What is one piece of advice you would share with your peers? Always seek feedback. Many people appreciate the value of a mentor, it is crucial for personal and professional growth. These important advisers offer valuable insights, knowledge, and advice that can significantly impact your life. Mentors provide a unique…

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Breaking Down Migration In and Out of Florida

By: Sheridan Meek, Senior Research Economist, Florida Chamber Foundation Florida has seen rapid population growth over the past few years, adding over 1 million net new residents since the release of the Florida 2030 Blueprint. Looking ahead to 2024, the Florida Chamber Foundation has forecasted another 225,000-275,000 new Floridians in its recently released economic predictions for 2024. Florida’s recent historic levels of population growth are due to the exponential changes in overall net migration. However,…

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Small Business Council Member Spotlight: Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe

      We sat down with Evelio Torres with the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe to ask three important questions: What does your business do? The Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe is a nonprofit organization established under Chapter 1002.83, Florida Statute. The Coalition is a local administrator of the state’s School Readiness and VPK program in partnership with the Department of Education. We are dedicated to ensuring high-quality early education for children in Miami-Dade and Monroe. Through…

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Florida Chamber Foundation Economists Predict Another Year of Positive Economic Growth for the World’s 15th Largest Economy in 2024

The Florida Chamber Foundation unveiled its 2024 economic and demographic predictions during the 2024 Florida Economic Outlook & Jobs Solution Summit. The Florida Chamber Foundation team, leading economists, industry experts, and lawmakers shared a glimpse into the opportunities and challenges Florida’s economy and businesses are facing on the road to 2030. The Solution Summit featured a 2024 Florida economic forecast, a national economic outlook, and valuable insight into Florida’s evolving workforce needs, housing trends, population…

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Mark Wilson: Working to make Florida even more competitive — addressing early learning & child care crisis

Florida needs to create 1.21 million new jobs by 2030 and child care concerns are being addressed by legislative leaders in Florida. According to Untapped Potential in FL, a 2023 report by the Florida Chamber Foundation and the National Chamber Foundation, nearly $5.4 billion in economic value is lost annually in Florida due to working parents having to be away from their jobs to care for children under the age of six. In fact, the report found…

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