In the knowledge economy, the success of a business largely depends on the skills of its employees. Florida’s workforce is strengthened by skilled labor and an ever-growing talent pool. Florida's large, talented and culturally diverse workforce can exceed the expectations of even the most demanding employers.

Large: With more than 9.2 million workers, Florida's labor force is the fourth largest in the United States.

Highly-qualified: Florida's labor market is particularly strong in high value added businesses, including high-tech industries and international trade. Ranked 4th in the nation for high tech employment by TechAmerica’s Cyberstates report, Florida boasts more than 280,000 high-tech workers. The talent pool is also deep in workers with advanced degrees, positioning Florida 11th among all states.

Highly-skilled: The demand for skilled labor in Florida is answered by many training programs designed for the needs of the state’s leading industries. Customized programs and incentives, such as Quick Response Training, Incumbent Worker Training and the industry-specific BANNER Centers Program provide skilled labor to employers in less time and at lower costs. Florida's workforce was recently ranked No. 1 in the nation on CNBC's America’s Top States for Business. 

Educated: Florida’s renowned colleges and universities, technical institutions and community colleges provide a continuous supply of workers with higher education. All Florida residents live within 50 miles of a post-secondary educational institution. Not surprisingly, the number of Floridians with Associate, Bachelor and Advanced degrees has increased at almost double the national rate since 2000, strengthening the Florida workforce and providing added value to employers.

Culturally diverse: Florida's workforce is one of the most diverse in the nation, both culturally and linguistically. Over 3.2 million residents were born outside the United States, and many Floridians speak one or more of over 90 languages. Florida has a particularly strong representation of Spanish, French, and Portuguese speakers.

Employer-friendly: Florida, a right-to-work state, is one of only ten states with a right-to-work provision in the state constitution. Florida also has one of the lowest unionization rates in the country at about 6.4 percent, and the third lowest unionization rate in manufacturing at 2.6 percent.

For more in-depth data on Florida’s workforce, please visit our Knowledge Center.

To find highly-skilled candidates for your company, please visit Employ Florida: