RERI Reports

Regional Economic Indicators: August 2025 Report

August 05, 2025 / RERI Research Team

The RERI has published Regional Economic Indicators for August 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.

Collier EBCS: Third Quarter 2025 Report

August 04, 2025 / RERI Research Team

Headline numbers for the US economy suggest that the economy continues to grow at a healthy rate. For instance, the real Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a measure of domestic economic activity in our economy, increased at a 3 percent annualized rate for the second quarter, after a first quarter decline of 0.5 percent. These numbers, though, are murky with recent developments in trade and trade policy. As we “look under the hood”, we find that final sales to private domestic purchasers rose only 1.2 percent, down from the 1.9 percent reported last quarter and its lowest reading since the fourth quarter of 2022. The labor market also continued to register low numbers from a historic perspective, measured at 4.1 percent in June. Signs of slowdown also persisted in the labor, with job openings holding steady and quit rates declining. Inflation measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased at a 2.7 percent annualized rate in June, and the Core Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) registered a 2.7 percent increase from last year in quarter 2. Hence, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), which has a dual mandate of stable prices and maximizing employment, has decided to maintain rates at its current rate at 4.25 – 4.5 percent. Their next meeting is in September, when they will have two full months of data, and more certainty on tariff levels and their potential effects on the economy.

Charlotte EBCS: Third Quarter 2025 Report

August 04, 2025 / RERI Research Team

Headline numbers for the US economy suggest that the economy continues to grow at a healthy rate. For instance, the real Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a measure of domestic economic activity in our economy, increased at a 3 percent annualized rate for the second quarter, after a first quarter decline of 0.5 percent. These numbers, though, are murky with recent developments in trade and trade policy. As we “look under the hood”, we find that final sales to private domestic purchasers rose only 1.2 percent, down from the 1.9 percent reported last quarter and its lowest reading since the fourth quarter of 2022. The labor market also continued to register low numbers from a historic perspective, measured at 4.1 percent in June. Signs of slowdown also persisted in the labor, with job openings holding steady and quit rates declining. Inflation measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased at a 2.7 percent annualized rate in June, and the Core Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) registered a 2.7 percent increase from last year in quarter 2. Hence, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), which has a dual mandate of stable prices and maximizing employment, has decided to maintain rates at its current rate at 4.25 – 4.5 percent. Their next meeting is in September, when they will have two full months of data, and more certainty on tariff levels and their potential effects on the economy.

Lee EBCS: Third Quarter 2025 Report

August 04, 2025 / RERI Research Team

Headline numbers for the US economy suggest that the economy continues to grow at a healthy rate. For instance, the real Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a measure of domestic economic activity in our economy, increased at a 3 percent annualized rate for the second quarter, after a first quarter decline of 0.5 percent. These numbers, though, are murky with recent developments in trade and trade policy. As we “look under the hood”, we find that final sales to private domestic purchasers rose only 1.2 percent, down from the 1.9 percent reported last quarter and its lowest reading since the fourth quarter of 2022. The labor market also continued to register low numbers from a historic perspective, measured at 4.1 percent in June. Signs of slowdown also persisted in the labor, with job openings revised downward for May and June, and quit rates declining. Inflation measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased at a 2.7 percent annualized rate in June, and the Core Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) registered a 2.7 percent increase from last year in quarter 2. Hence, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), which has a dual mandate of stable prices and maximizing employment, has decided to maintain rates at its current rate at 4.25 – 4.5 percent. Their next meeting is in September, when they will have two full months of data, and more certainty on tariff levels and their potential effects on the economy.

Regional Economic Indicators: July 2025 Report

July 07, 2025 / RERI Research Team

The RERI has published Regional Economic Indicators for July 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.

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.