Negative news far too often make the headlines, especially in South Florida. With over 20 million Floridians and about half of us in South Florida, you can find something that’s wrong all of the time. But as I look through what’s really going on for the average Floridian as we enter the new year and decade, the future’s so bright.
Ten years ago, today, the unemployment rate in Florida was 11.2%. What is it today? A record-low 3.1%. Ten years ago, the average household income in Florida was $50,000. Today it's $56,500. What about crime? We’ve seen crime decline statewide every year over the past decade and currently, we have a 48-year low in overall crime rates.
Now, what about our home? A decade ago, the Florida foreclosure rate was 5.9%. Today it’s 0.7%. I could continue but you get the idea. Record low unemployment, with an unemployment rate that’s dropped by 72%. Record high incomes which have risen by 13%. Near record low foreclosures with 88% fewer taking place. If you look around for negative news, you can easily find it. But Florida’s a great news story today that just keeps getting better for most Floridians.
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