Florida ranks as the top state in the nation for attracting and developing skilled workers, marking the third year in a row the Sunshine State has been atop the rankings.
Lightcast, a labor market data agency, issued its Talent Attraction Scorecard for 2025 and put Florida in first. The rankings have been published for 10 years, and Florida has claimed the top slot every year since 2023.
“Florida set an ambitious goal to be number one in workforce education by 2030 — and we continue to march towards this achievement,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said. “We’re not just preparing for the future — we’re ahead of schedule, building a workforce ready for high-demand, high-wage careers today.”
Lightcast evaluated all 50 states and 900 metropolitan areas while evaluating overall job growth, college-level job growth, growth in blue-collar jobs, regional competitiveness and attraction of earners, among other factors.
FloridaCommerce Secretary J. Alex Kelly said Florida has gone out of its way to develop and expand its workforce with qualified talent.
“Under Gov. DeSantis’ leadership, we’re creating opportunities for both job seekers and job creators through a strong focus on education and workforce training,” Kelly said. “Florida continues to lead the nation with an economy where workforce and talent development are a priority to our success as we continue to build a future full of opportunity for anyone ready to grow and succeed here in the Free State of Florida.”
Texas was ranked second in the country for talent acquisition, according to the list, followed by Idaho, Wyoming and Nevada. Illinois placed last, preceded by New York at No. 49, Michigan at No. 48, Wisconsin at No. 47, and Minnesota at No. 46.
Seven Florida cities or metropolitan areas were ranked in the top 10 among municipalities, including the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach area at No. 3, Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford at No. 4, and Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin at No. 5. North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota finished at No. 7, and the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area was No. 8.
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