Amidst a national shift towards a cooler labor market with fewer job openings, the study explores the consequent effects on wage trends and inflationary pressures. The focus is on Florida's unique position and its adaptive response to these economic headwinds, highlighting the state's labor market resilience. As job openings decline and employee separations remain high, Florida's experience offers a case study in managing workforce challenges during economic cooldowns. This paper is a must-read for policymakers, economists, and business leaders interested in the interplay between labor markets and inflation, especially those focused on the Sunshine State's economic climate.

Originally designed to serve specific community segments, credit unions have since expanded their reach and service offerings, making their tax exemptions increasingly valuable. From 1997's exemption value of $89.1 million, the exemption's worth has risen to $259 million in 2023. This report sheds light on the industry's transformations, recent trends like mergers and acquisitions, and reevaluates the rationale behind the tax exemptions. It aims to fuel informed discussions on credit union taxation and their exemption status.

Water provides varied and vital benefits to Floridians, our businesses, and visitors. We literally could not live without it. Our water resources are a massive, interconnected system, one that is expensive to maintain. Federal, state, and local governments have been spending a lot of taxpayer money on upkeep and enhancements, but there is still much work to be done.

From the early days on the edge of the Tigris and Euphrates River to now, water has long been a staple of civilization. As discussed in the Florida TaxWatch report “We Can’t Wait on Water” (January 2020), Florida relies upon high-quality water to maintain the well-being of public health, ecosystem services, recreation, property values, and economic activities, such as fishing, boating, sailing, and other water-based tourism. But Florida’s water quality is at risk.

Serving as the eyes and ears of Florida taxpayers, Florida TaxWatch annually reviews the state budget to prepare its Budget Guide, showing how hard-earned taxpayer dollars are spent. This year, consistent with a recommendation by Florida TaxWatch, line item 2923 of the 500-page General Appropriations Act appropriates $500,000 in nonrecurring funds to the Department of Management Services to contract for a comprehensive analysis to determine the fiscal impact and feasibility of extending the State Group Insurance Program (SGIP) to employees of the Florida College System.

Access to affordable, quality child care and early learning programs is essential for keeping parents in the workforce. In July 2022, Florida TaxWatch released “How Childcare Impacts the State’s Economy and Shapes Florida’s Workforce” to examine the risk unstable childcare options pose to the state’s economy. The briefing found that childcare-related turnover can cost $8.2 billion in lost earnings for families, $1.7 billion in turnover expenses for businesses, and $745.3 million in tax revenues, annually. Yet, the availability and capacity of high-quality child care and early learning programs remain limited, and often unaffordable, for many Florida families

As the 2023-24 school year begins and students return to class, Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) begins Year 10 of the SMART Program. This is significant in that former Superintendent Runcie promised the taxpayers that all SMART projects would start within five years and be completed by year seven.

Green infrastructure, including parks and greenways, is becoming an increasingly important resource for cities to use to help reduce flooding and stormwater runoff, especially in high-risk areas. As seen in Jacksonville, these resources can provide $112.8 million in savings from pollution reduction costs while at the same time helping reduce the impact of flooding and stormwater runoff. Green infrastructure also saves taxpayers and cities a significant amount on maintenance costs over the years by eliminating some of the stress for man-made drainage to handle stormwater during intense rainfalls. Using green infrastructure is a critical resource for building more resilient communities that benefit Florida’s residents and businesses and provide cost savings for taxpayers.

Over the past few years, with college tuition growing much faster than income after graduation, the mountain of pending student loan debt is growing. This affects the younger generation’s spending capacity, risk-taking willingness, and retirement savings. Recent debates focus on whether student loan debt should be forgiven, how much should be forgiven, the method of forgiveness, and the impact it would have on the future spending of taxpayers.