Leading destination: Whether for business or pleasure, Broward County is making the case for growth Broward County, also known as the Greater Fort Lauderdale region, is ready for the next phase. After the challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the area is poised for a strong rebound on the back of its world-renowned high quality of life, diversifying industries and welcoming tourism market. The county, a leading destination for domestic and international businesses as a gateway location to global marketplaces, is among the most economically productive regions in Florida, contributing over 12% of the state’s GDP. Thanks to its world-class cruise port, Fort Lauderdale itself is a major international tourist destination and the geographic center of the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach MSA. With easy access to three international airports, three deep-water seaports, two foreign trade zones and seven general aviation airports, it’s not surprising that the region is home to the headquarters of almost 200 companies and is at the heart of the Tech Gateway, which hosts businesses such as Microsoft, Citrix and Magic Leap. Furthermore, the area has the pool of talent to feed the rapidly growing industries in the area. With a pre-COVID unemployment rate of 3.3% for Broward County and 3.4% for Fort Lauderdale, the metropolitan area has one 10
| Invest: Greater Fort Lauderdale 2021 | ECONOMY
of the largest and most diverse multilingual labor forces in Florida. There are 43 institutions offering associate degrees or higher within 30 miles, and these institutions have total enrollment of about 350,000 students per year. Of course, one of the biggest attractions of doing business anywhere in Florida is its status as a low-tax, business-friendly state. Landscape With all these factors considered, it is little wonder that the Greater Fort Lauderdale region has won several accolades recognizing its status as an international business destination with a high quality of life. The city of Fort Lauderdale itself was named in Bloomberg’s 2019 Bucket List of must-visit worldwide destinations, WalletHub named it the Most Diverse City in Florida and Livability.com said it was one of the Top 10 Best Downtowns in the United States. Forbes called it one of the Best Places for Business and Careers, Global Trade magazine named it on its shortlist of Best Places for Global Trade and The Kauffman Index called it the Hottest Start-up Hub in America. Over 40% of Fort Lauderdale’s businesses have international exposure, in a variety of sectors ( )
