Report card leaves room for improvement

Florida's report card for manufacturing and logistics, graded by the Center for Business and Economic Research at Ball State University, was a punch to the gut: The state received a D in manufacturing, a D+ in productivity and innovation and a C+ in logistics.

At least the analysis recognized Florida's tax climate, which earned the state its only A grade out of nine categories. The state also received a B+ in sector diversification and a B in expected liability gap, which looks at pension funds and unfunded liabilities.

Florida was one of eight states nationwide with a D in overall manufacturing industry health. The grade, according to the report, was based on three variables: share of total income earned by manufacturing employees per state; wage premium paid to manufacturing workers relative to other states' employees; and the share of manufacturing employment per capita.

The good news is Florida, unlike several other southeast states, improved in the human capital/labor quality and availability category, going up to a C. That segment measures human capital by looking at levels of high school and college graduates; the first-year retention rate of adults in community and technical colleges; the number of associate degrees awarded annually on a per capita basis; and the share of enrollees in adult basic education.

“Modest improvements in human capital bode well for the longer-term prospect of growth in the state,” Center for Business and Economic Research Director Michael Hicks says in a release.