The Florida Chamber of Commerce Foundation (FCF), a statewide, business-led, nonpartisan research organization, recently released this year’s state employment and economic outlook.
Here are the findings:
After reviewing the latest information from Florida business leaders, the outlook for this year is for continued growth across all major economic indicators.
Florida’s economy is expected to once again outperform the nation.
FCF said this performance reflected long-term trends rather than a short-term spike.
Florida continues to rank as one of the strongest state economies in the country and has been recognized by CNBC as the number one state economy in the nation.
FCF said the 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 outpace national GDP growth again in 2026.
Florida’s unemployment rate has been below the national unemployment rate since September 2020 and is expected to be between 4.2% and 4.3% in 2026.
Housing is a top concern, with FCF’s report finding that median listing prices for single-family homes are stable and sales prices are on the rise after a period of highs and lows. These changes also indicate that the market is expected to normalize in 2026.
Moderate growth is expected due to a cooling but still increasing number of immigrants and changes in the national economic environment.
“Florida continues to prove that long-term, disciplined and diversified economic strategies work,” said Mark Wilson, president and CEO of the Florida Chamber and Foundation.
“Florida is entering 2026 in a strong position,” said Sheridan Mawby, senior research economist at the Florida Chamber of Commerce Foundation. “Florida Chamber of Commerce Foundation data shows continued performance above national trends, a resilient labor market, and a period of normalization following years of rapid growth. The slowdown in growth is not a cause for concern. It reflects the stabilization of an economy built for long-term success.”
