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

JUNE 2023

Airport Activity

Down 10 percent from April 2022 to April 2023.

Tourist Tax Revenues

Down 34 percent from March 2022 to March 2023.

Taxable Sales

Up 4 percent from January 2022 to January 2023.

Unemployment Rate

Down 0.1 percentage points from April 2022 to April 2023.

Single-family Building Permits

Down 34 percent from April 2022 to April 2023.

Single-family Home Sales

Down 21 percent from April 2022 to April 2023.

Single-family Home Prices

Up 5 percent in Collier, down 7 percent in Charlotte and Lee from April 2022 to April 2023.

Residential Active Listings

Up 151 percent from April 2022 to April 2023.

JUNE 2023 Report indicators Dashboard

Recent Publications

Regional Economic Indicators: June 2023 Report

June 01, 2023 / RERI Research Team

The RERI has published Regional Economic Indicators for June 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.

SWFL Real Estate: Second Quarter 2023 Report

May 31, 2023 / RERI Research Team / Tag: Lucas Institute for Real Estate Development & Finance

We are pleased to present the Southwest Florida Real Estate Report. This report is the product of a collaborative effort between the Regional Economic Research Institute and the Lucas Institute for Real Estate Development and Finance. The report consolidates data from local property appraiser's offices and offers a comprehensive analysis of home sales, real median prices, price per square foot, and average age. Additionally, the report includes a section on commercial real estate analysis, encompassing retail properties, office spaces, entertainment properties, and other commercial sales. Stakeholders in Southwest Florida can utilize the information provided in this report to make well-informed decisions concerning talent attraction, affordable housing, and business expansion.

Issue Brief: Lee County Small Business Analysis

May 19, 2023 / RERI Research Team

The analysis presented in this study comes from DatabaseUSA, a leading provider for establishment-level records. The dataset consists of 34,014 records for establishments in Lee County, Florida, and includes information on their reported industry, establishment size (number of employees), sales revenue, and latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates. We restrict our analysis to establishments with no more than 20 employees, consistent with the definition used by the Small Business Enterprise Program. Furthermore, we define a qualified establishment as one that meets the specified criteria in each table or figure.

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