Workforce Now has released the 10th annual Southwest Florida regional educational and workforce outcomes study.

For those interested in the job market, the “research initiative that studies the regional workforce,” is a must-read.

The 113-page report compiled by researchers from Florida Gulf Coast University, Hodges University, Florida SouthWestern State College and the FutureMakers Coalition — which has more than 250 participants across various business and community sectors — is a deep dive into “demographics, education, occupations, employments gaps and projected job growth” within Hendry, Glades, Collier, Lee and Charlotte counties.

The shared goal is to close “the higher education gap and, more importantly, retaining those high-skilled Southwest Floridians in jobs within the region” so as to “transform Southwest Florida’s workforce by increasing the proportion of skilled working age adults with college degrees, workforce certificates, industry certifications and other high-quality credentials to 55 percent” by 2025 across the five counties. Lee constitutes more than 56 percent the region’s population with 96 percent living in the three coastal counties.

At the beginning of the initiative in 2013, Southwest Florida was sitting at 39 percent, a gap of 89,518 skilled workers with a lower percentage of skilled workers in each county compared to the state.

By 2020, the region, one of Florida’s fastest-growing, was at 42.2 percent of the goal with a gap of 80,548 skilled workers.

So what does this year’s report tell us about where the jobs are, how much they pay, perhaps most important, what industries are expected to add jobs in the near future?

Construction has seen the greatest growth in the last few years with 11,000 additional jobs — little surprise — but retail and service-related jobs still hold the top spot on the list.

“The Workforce Now report indicates that of the 424,494 workers reported in 2021, retail trade was the largest industry, with 17.3 percent of all workers in the region,” the release states. “Accommodation and food services was the next largest industry (14.3 percent), followed by health care and social assistance (14.1 percent) and construction (13.6 percent).”

And the future:

“The top 10 employment growth occupations are retail salespersons (3,598 new positions by 2029), restaurant cooks (3,196 new positions), landscaping and groundskeeping workers (2,821 new positions), waiters and waitresses (2,512 new positions), fast food and counter workers (2,490 new positions), registered nurses (1,548 new positions), home health and personal care aides (1,440 new positions), construction laborers (1,439 new positions), general and operations managers (1,251 new positions), and janitors and cleaners (1,084 new positions).

The bad news?

“Retail trade and accommodation and food services were also among the lowest paying jobs in the region, with average annual wages of $39,222 and $28,588 respectively. The average annual wage for all industries in Southwest Florida was $53,274 in 2021, up 7.7 percent from 2020.”

The projections to 2029?

Retail, food services and accommodations workers are projected to remain at the bottom of the wage scale.

This is a primary reason the coalition is working to boost professional certifications, training and education.

The regional numbers are interesting because they not only provide an in-depth look at Southwest Florida’s workforce and job market, but provide a snapshot of our local economy in terms of the people who pay the bills — for housing, utilities, food and yes, taxes and the taxes government entities like to call “fees” and “assessments.”

As Cape Coral City Council continues its efforts to finalize the city’s budget for the next fiscal year, including the tax dollars needed for operations, U.S. Census stats bring some harsh realities home.

A city of now more than 204,500, 24 percent of the Cape’s population — just shy of a quarter — is 65 or older. Even with a nice retirement nest egg, they are likely fixed-income taxpayers. And not all have any eggs to spare.

The city’s per capita income in the past 12 months came in at $31,400.

Nearly 10 percent of the city’s population lives in poverty. Seventeen percent of those under 65 have no health insurance.

Rent is at record highs. So are electric bills. And food.

And, well, you get the point.

The question is, does this city administration?

We think not.

Otherwise the four members of city council who, throughout the entire budget process, have supported rolling back the property tax rate to have the least impact on Homesteaded property owners who already are facing higher taxes — excuse us “fees” — and the four who support City Manager Rob Hernandez’s recommended rate would not have rolled into last night’s first budget hearing deadlocked on the tax rate and wrangling still over what, if anything, could be cut.

Millions in additional tax dollars from increased valuations and new construction and money for “needs” is still lacking?

Either city staff does not know how to winnow out the needs from the wants.

Or the city’s wishkateers do not know the community, or the residents, they are paid to serve.

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— Breeze editorial