Average weekly wages in Florida's metro areas rebounded following the recession, led by a 21% increase in Jacksonville. Wage growth then plateaued in recent years across all metro areas despite very tight labor markets. This plateau coincides with slower state employment growth. To attract talent, employers have turned to non-wage benefits like flexible hours and improved workspaces.

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Snapshot
A rebound in average weekly wages seems to have
plateaued across Florida’s metro areas
Source: JLL Research, *Not adjusted for inflation
Marc L. Miller | marcl.miller@am.jll.com
• Led by Jacksonville, Florida metro areas have all seen a rebound in average weekly wages since they dipped
following the recession. Wages in Jacksonville are now almost 21.0 percent higher than they were in 2007 thanks
in part to a strong recovery in the financial activity, PBS, and construction sectors. Both Orlando and Tampa have
experienced similar growth due to the same factors. Miami, Florida’s largest employment center, has only seen a
modest increase of 6.4 percent compared to 2007 – well below the state’s other major metro areas.
• And after a period of slow growth, average weekly wage growth accelerated between 2016 and 2018 across the
board, but that appears to have plateaued – even experiencing a slight decline during that time.
• This slight decline coincides with the state’s slowing employment growth, which would appear to be counter
intuitive given the extremely tight unemployment rates in Florida (all of these metro areas have an unemployment
rate below 3.6 percent).
• In order to attract and retain talent, many employers have resorted to non-monetary work benefits such as flexible
hours, telecommuting, and improvements to their workspaces and culture.
August 29, 2019
Florida
-20.0%
-15.0%
-10.0%
-5.0%
0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
20.0%
25.0%
30.0%
Avg.weeklywagegrowth
(1/1/2007base)*
Miami Fort Lauderdale West Palm Beach Tampa Orlando Jacksonville