Regional Economic Research Institute

Robust Regional Research for a Strong Regional Economy

Tracking trends, interpreting impact, and forecasting the future.

The Regional Economic Research Institute (RERI) studies the regional and state economy and conducts on-demand economic research of issues pertaining to Southwest Florida. Economic Research includes areas such as economic development and forecasting, economic impact analysis, surveys, among others. If you are a decision-maker in need of relevant data and analysis, the RERI can help assist you.

How can we help you?

Learn more about RERI news, research, customized services, or resources.

News and Events

Research

Customized Services

Resources

The newsletter includes the latest copy of Regional Economic Indicators, along with other reports and news items.

Support the RERI

Generous donations support the RERI day-to-day operations, especially in funding our students.

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Hurricane Ian Resources

The RERI complied a comprehensive list of various resources for SWFL businesses to utilize as the community recovers from the impact of Hurricane Ian.

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Southwest Florida Economic Outlook

MARCH 2023

Airport Activity

Down 1 percent from January 2022 to January 2023.

Tourist Tax Revenues

Down 31 percent from December 2021 to December 2022.

Taxable Sales

Up 9 percent from November 2021 to November 2022.

Unemployment Rate

Down 0.6 percentage points from December 2021 to December 2022.

Single-family Building Permits

Down 20 percent from January 2022 to January 2023.

Single-family Home Sales

Down 27 percent from January 2022 to January 2023.

Single-family Home Prices

Up 2 to 4 percent from January 2022 to January 2023.

Residential Active Listings

Up 172 percent from January 2022 to January 2023.

MARCH 2023 Report indicators Dashboard

Recent Publications

Industry Diversification Project: First Quarter 2023 Report

March 22, 2023 / RERI Research Team / Tag: Industry Diversification Project

The RERI has published the Industry Diversification Report for the fourth quarter of 2022. The goal of the IDI is to measure industry diversification and, by extension, that of the workforce, in each of Florida’s 24 workforce regions, the state of Florida, and the remaining 49 states. The index measure is computed quarterly, soon after the release of workforce data from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity’s Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages. It spans from 0 to 10, with 0 signifying no diversification (or an economy characterized by a single industry), and 10 signifying perfect diversification (no concentration).

Regional Economic Indicators: March 2023 Report

March 01, 2023 / RERI Research Team

The RERI has published Regional Economic Indicators for March 2023. The monthly publication represents a collection and analysis of economic indicators including airport passenger activity, taxable sales, tourist tax revenues, labor force, employment, real estate, and consumer sentiment for the Southwest Florida workforce region.

Regional Economic Indicators: February 2023 Report

February 01, 2023 / RERI Research Team

The RERI has published Regional Economic Indicators for February 2023. The monthly publication represents a collection and analysis of economic indicators including airport passenger activity, taxable sales, tourist tax revenues, labor force, employment, real estate, and consumer sentiment for the Southwest Florida workforce region.

About Us

Learn more about the Regional Economic Research Institute, including its vision and mission.

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Staff

Meet the staff of the Regional Economic Research Institute.

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Advisory Council

Learn more about the RERI Advisory Council.

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About Us

The Regional Economic Research Institute was established in 2005 to serve as the economic development unit of the Lutgert College of Business Dean’s Office. The RERI studies, analyzes and reports on the regional economy encompassing Collier, Lee, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties. The Institute finances its day-to-day operations, including paying its students, through contracting for research projects and studies, and donations.

In its many regular and occasional publications, and custom economic research, the RERI focuses on areas such as economic development and forecasting, economic impact analysis, secondary data analysis and surveys. The RERI often partner with different economic development organizations and chambers of commerce in our region, and works closely with the Lucas Institute for Real Estate Development and Finance, the Small Business Development Center, the Southwest Florida Leadership Institute, all of which are housed in the Lutgert College of Business at FGCU, as well as the Institute for Entrepreneurship.

Vision

Robust regional research for a strong Southwest Florida economy.

Mission

To create knowledge on social and economic topics for Southwest Florida business and community leaders while providing FGCU students with opportunities to gain valuable research and communication skills.

Name	TITLE	ORGANIZATION
Peg Elmore	Director of Business Services	CareerSource Southwest Florida
Tessa LeSage	Director	FutureMakers Coalition
Margaret Wuerstle	Executive Director	Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council

Questions/Comments?

Regional Economic Research Institute

10501 FGCU Boulevard South
Lucas Hall 314
Fort Myers, Florida 33965

(239) 590-7370

reri@fgcu.edu