Check out the latest studies from the Haas Center, including the Workforce Region Two Self-Sufficiency Study
and the Analysis of the Florida Film and Entertainment Industry.

Northwest Florida Employment
by Michael Scheibe, MBA
The unemployment rate for the Northwest Florida region in the third quarter of 2008 was 1.9 percent higher than it was in the third quarter of 2007. The unemployment rate identifies the percentage of people in the labor force that are seeking a job but do not have one. The labor force is the sum of those employed and unemployed, but it does not include the jobless who are not seeking employment such as full-time students and retirees.  More »


Northwest Florida Real Estate Activity
by David Kane, BS
The third quarter of 2008 was again, quite discouraging for real estate activity in NW Florida.   In total, residential real estate activity for our region has dwindled to levels not seen since the early 1990’s.  For the five-county region total home sales were down by an average of almost 25 percent compared to the third quarter of 2007.  Many areas within the state, however, have begun to experience an up-turn in sales activity compared to a year ago, which is good news.   According to the Florida Association of Realtors survey of MLS sales data within the twenty Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA’s) that comprise the state, sales of existing single-family homes were actually up by 5 percent compared to last year.  But for the three MSA’s that comprise the NW Florida region alone, sales of existing single-family homes declined by almost 24 percent.  (Note:  The Ft. Walton Beach MSA remained stable compared to last year.)  Over the same time period the median sales price of an existing single-family home declined by a state-wide average of 20 percent, compared to a decline of only 8 percent in NW Florida.    More »

Housing Affordability
by Anita Remesch, BS
In the third quarter of 2008, housing affordability increased due to decreases in mortgage interest rates and median home prices. The largest increase was felt in the Fort Walton Beach MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area) with a 13.2 percent increase in housing affordability.  The Pensacola MSA increased 9.7 percent and the Panama City MSA increased 3.4 percent.  On the national level, housing affordability increased 1.2 percent.  More »

Northwest Florida Retail Sales
by Michael Scheibe, MBA
The Northwest Florida region’s retail sales totaled over $4.7 billion in the second quarter of 2008, down 5.8 percent from the previous year. According to the Census Bureau, the retail sales figures for the nation increased 2.5 percent over the same period. The retail sales in the region are measured according to data on taxable retail sales that is collected and distributed by the Florida Department of Revenue.  More »


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