RERI News

Industry Diversification Project: Second Quarter 2025 Report

June 24, 2025 / RERI Research Team / Tag: Industry Diversification Project

The RERI has published the Industry Diversification Report for the second quarter of 2025. 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).

Southwest Florida State of the Arts

June 17, 2025 / RERI Research Team / Tag: Economics and Finance

Understanding the state of the arts in Southwest Florida first requires an understanding of the region the industry caters to. Southwest Florida is often characterized as an older population, with 14.5 percent of the total population nearing retirement and another 31.3 percent at least 65 years old in 2023. However, heterogeneity exists between races and ethnicities within the region. The share of the White, non-Hispanic population over the age of 55 totaled 55.0 percent in 2023, compared to only 24.3 of the Black, non-Hispanic population and 19.4 percent of the Hispanic population. On the flip side, 43.5 percent of the Hispanic population is between 25 and 54, compared to only 17.1 percent of the White, non-Hispanic population. This has implications for population forecasts through 2050. The region’s population is projected to grow to 2.3 million by 2050, growing by 46.4 percent compared to 2025. Over this period, the White, non-Hispanic population is projected to grow by 14.4 percent, while the Hispanic population is projected to grow by 116.9 percent. Growth in the White, non-Hispanic population is almost certainly to be driven by migration into the region over the next 25 years, while growth in the Hispanic population is more likely to be driven by a combination of both migration and endogenous growth.

Issue Brief: Mortgage-Free Households in Southwest Florida

June 12, 2025 / RERI Research Team

With rising homeowner costs, a lack of affordable housing, and worsening climate concerns in the region contributing to higher insurance costs and worries over the future of the real estate market, many Southwest Florida residents are unable to live mortgage-free. Although it is normal for homeowners to own a mortgage, especially for first-time homeowners, being mortgage-free suggests a household has more disposable income compared to those that are paying a mortgage. Regions like Southwest Florida offer valuable insights into homeownership trends, shedding light on the challenges of achieving mortgage-free status. Thus, understanding the trends and patterns of previous years becomes valuable for homeowners, policymakers, and businesses alike.

Regional Economic Indicators: June 2025 Report

June 02, 2025 / RERI Research Team

The RERI has published Regional Economic Indicators for June 2025. 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 2025 Report

May 30, 2025 / RERI Research Team

During the first quarter of 2025, the residential market in Southwest Florida continued to experience notable changes reflecting ongoing adjustments in the post-pandemic and post-hurricane housing landscape, as evidenced by the latest data available. Single-family home sales in the region have come down over the past quarters and remain below their 2022 apex, with declines primarily concentrated in the coastal counties. Single-family and condominium real median prices in the region also continued to fall, with declines observed across all Southwest Florida counties. The percentage of total housing units that were actively listed rose year-over-year in almost all counties.

Issue Brief: Shifting Trends in Remote Work

May 23, 2025 / RERI Research Team

Working from home has become increasingly popular in Southwest Florida, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020. Employees were asked to work from home to reduce the spread of the virus, but even as time passed and it became safe to return to the office, working from home remained a popular choice. We can observe a substantial increase in the share of remote workers from 2019 to 2023, which has implications for workforce accessibility, infrastructure planning, and economic development. Understanding who is working remotely is vital to assessing the effects of this shift on our labor market.

Regional Economic Indicators: May 2025 Report

May 05, 2025 / RERI Research Team

The RERI has published Regional Economic Indicators for May 2025. 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.

Lee EBCS: Second Quarter 2025 Report

May 02, 2025 / RERI Research Team

Hard data available at the national level would suggest that the economy remains resilient despite some evidence of slowing growth. The labor market did not waver, with the national unemployment rate measuring at 4.2 percent in March, staying within the range often considered “full employment” by economists. Inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), reported at 2.4 percent in March 2025, coming in below economist forecasts. Advanced estimates for real Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a measure of domestic economic activity in our economy, decreased at a 0.3 percent annualized rate for the first quarter, it’s first decline since the first quarter of 2022.