Sunshine State ranked 3rd for veteran-owned businesses

176,000 such-owned entities employ more than 310,000 Floridians

TALLAHASSEE— On this Veterans Day, Floridians show their appreciation for the heroic service of the country’s 1.6 million veterans. A March report by the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy states that Florida ranks third nationally for the greatest number of veteran-owned businesses. The 2011 Veterans unemployment rate declined -1.5 percent from 2010.

FloridaDepartment of Economic Opportunity“As we celebrate Veterans Day, I am extremely proud of the significant progress our workforce system has made in finding employment for our service members, who have the leadership skills and experience that employers are looking for,” Gov. Rick Scott said.

The U.S. SBA Office of Advocacy reported that Florida has 176,727 veteran-owned businesses which produce revenue of $61.9 billion. These veteran-owned employers provide jobs for 310,154 people with an annual payroll of $10.6 billion.

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity combines the state’s economic, workforce and community development efforts.

This new approach helps expedite economic development projects to fuel job creation in competitive communities. For more information, including valuable resources for employers and job seekers, please visit www.floridajobs.org