The Florida Chamber Foundation (FCF), a statewide, business-led, nonpartisan research organization, recently released its jobs and economy outlook for the state this year.
Findings include:
After examining the latest updates by Florida business leaders, the outlook for this year projects continued growth across all major economic indicators,
Florida’s economy once again expected to outperform the nation.
FCF says this performance reflects a long-standing trend rather than a short-term surge.
Florida continues to rank among the strongest state economies in the country and is recognized by CNBC as the number one state economy in the nation.
FCF says its report shows the state’s economic growth has outpaced the nation by an average of 2.3 percentage points over the past four years and is expected to exceed national GDP growth again in 2026.
Florida’s unemployment rate has remained below the national rate since September 2020 and is projected to range between 4.2 percent and 4.3 percent in 2026.
Housing has been a top concern, and the FCF report says median single-family home listing prices are stabilizing and sales are picking up after a period of high prices and slow activity. These shifts also point to an expected market normalization in 2026.
Cooling but still positive migration and a changing national economic environment are expected to lead to moderate growth.
Florida continues to prove that long-term, disciplined and diversified economic strategy works,” said Mark Wilson, President & CEO of the Florida Chamber of Commerce and Foundation.
“Florida is entering 2026 from a position of strength,” said Sheridan Morby, Senior Research Economist of the Florida Chamber Foundation. “The Florida Chamber Foundation’s data show sustained outperformance of the national trends, a resilient labor market, and a period of normalization following several years of rapid growth. Slower growth does not signal concerns. It reflects a stabilizing economy that is built for long-term success.”
