TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released a briefing entitled How Childcare Impacts the State’s Economy and Shapes Florida’s Workforce. The report presents an analysis of the impact of accessible childcare on Florida’s workforce participation and overall economic success.
The economic importance of early childhood education extends far beyond the direct development benefits for children and the associated long-term outcomes.
Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) is releasing an economic commentary entitled Built for Success: Manufacturing’s Role in Florida’s Economy. The report evaluates the significant impact of manufacturing on Florida’s economy and outlines opportunities for growth, which the taxpayer research institute notes will require a collaborative approach, involving both the public and private sectors, as well as strategic investment in human capital.
When the pandemic began the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) extended free meals to school-age children all year long, including the summer months. The program will no longer be available at the end of this school year and many food insecure families are now facing a summer without school food assistance programs. The situation is made even more dire as inflation and the cost-of-living soars, leaving millions of individuals and families in critical need of year-round nutritional assistance.
Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) is releasing an economic commentary entitled International Trade as a Catalyst for Florida’s Economy. The report outlines changes in Florida’s international trade over time – underscoring the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic – while analyzing the economic impact in the state and presenting it as a global trading hub. The trusted taxpayer research institute also identifies opportunities for future trade growth.
January 2022 marked the 12th Annual Human Trafficking Awareness Month. A recognized memorial since 2010, the designation seeks to raise human trafficking awareness and educate the public about the crime’s heinous impact on millions of people across the world. Given the criminal enterprise nature of human trafficking, there is also an inherent economic cost to communities and the state of Florida when exploitation prevents victims from leading dignified, generative lives. What are the costs and implications of human trafficking in Florida?
Throughout the U.S. and in Florida, a variety of federal and state public programs exist to provide economic stabilization and promote economic self-sufficiency for low-income individuals and families with children. These public supports are often designed with specific income eligibility limits so that benefits phase out as an individual or family earns more. Although constructed to reduce reliance on public assistance over time while empowering families to move up the economic ladder, this program design can sometimes have the unintentional consequence of creating a “benefits cliff” that stifles upward mobility.
This working paper is an endeavor to learn more about Florida’s labor force participation rate of women. Exploring reasons for women’s absence from the workforce can help Florida better understand the needs of its entire workforce. As a working paper, Florida TaxWatch hopes to start a discussion and encourage others to offer their insights about women’s absence from the workforce.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released 2021 How Florida Compares: Taxes, which includes an analysis of Florida’s state and local tax rates, tax collections, and other government revenues and compares the data to the 49 other states and the national average. The report is part of the taxpayer research institute’s larger How Florida Compares series, providing neutral, nonpartisan information intended to help Floridians better understand their state.
Have you ever wondered how Florida’s taxes stack up against the taxes in other states? If so, this report is for you.
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