Job outlook in Lee County ranks third in the nation, new survey says

Things are looking bright in Lee County. Not only is it warm while parts of the country are dealing with snow, but our job outlook ranks third in the nation.

There is something about this area that keeps tourists coming back and having people wanting to move here.

“The beach walking around to the bars and everything,” said John Bloomer, who is visiting.

A new survey by ManpowerGroup shows 31% of employers in Lee County plan to hire more workers in 2020. The hospitality industry is expected to see a boom. That is good news for Mia Williams, a Florida Gulf Coast University student, who came to Southwest Florida to study at the hospitality program.

“I also know that in a couple of years,” Williams said, “I’ll have to go out or even now I’m gonna have to go out and find an internship.”

The survey is good news for her classmates studying other industries, too. Construction, for instance, health and education, along with manufacturing, are expected to boom.

Janeth Castrejon, of CareerSource Southwest Florida, read the report.

“What’s also significant about that survey,” Castrejon said, “is the high number of employers and businesses that want to maintain their workforce.”

It is a whopping 69%, which is a basic statistic to some, but to Williams, it is a sign all her hard work will pay off.

“It’s just exciting,” Williams said, “because me and my classmates are all going to have these opportunities.”