The Largest Employers in Florida: A Detailed Overview

In this article, we’re going to delve into an analytical journey exploring who the biggest players are when it comes to employment in some of Florida’s prominent counties. Compiled and edited by the Regional Economic Research Institute, we’ve gathered comprehensive data from 2019 that sheds light on the largest employers in several key regions in Florida.

While exploring the theme of the largest employers in Florida, it’s also fascinating to delve into specific regions like Babcock Ranch, Florida, to understand how its unique economic landscape contributes to the state’s employment sector.

Top Employers in Southwest Florida 2019

In 2019, Lee Health emerged as the top employer in Southwest Florida, providing jobs to 13,595 individuals. Close behind Lee Health, the Lee County School District and Lee County Local Government offered employment possibilities for 12,936 and 9,038 respectively. Following this, Florida’s beloved Publix Super Market and the NCH Healthcare System provided jobs for a substantial number of Floridians as well.

Here, we also see a mix of other employers ranging from retail giants like Walmart to education institutions like the Florida Gulf Coast University, and even fast-food chains like McDonald’s making it to the list.

Rank	Company Name	Employment
1	Lee Health**	13,595
2	Lee County School District	12,936
3	Lee County Local Government*	9,038
4	Publix Super Market	8,728
5	NCH Healthcare System**	7,017
6	Walmart	6,516
7	Collier County School District	5,604
8	Collier County Local Government*	5,119
9	Florida Gulf Coast University	3,430
10	Bayfront Health	3,060
11	Charlotte County School District	2,553
12	Arthrex, Inc.**	2,500
13	Charlotte County Local Government*	2,464
14	McDonald’s	2,447
15	City of Cape Coral	2,253
16	US Sugar	2,100
17	Home Depot	2,040
18	Winn-Dixie	1,994
19	Hope Hospice	1,768
20	Ritz Carlton-Naples	1,450
21	Florida SouthWestern State College**	1,441
22	Gartner, Inc.**	1,200
23	Walgreens	1,191
24	City of Naples	1,169
25	Target	1,150
26	Chico’s Fas Inc.**	1,147
27	Lowe’s Home Improvement	1,135
28	Hertz**	1,110
29	Shell Point Retirement Community	1,100
30	Radiology Regional Center	1,031
31	City of Fort Myers	988
32	Physicians Regional	950
33	Hendry County School District	923
34	Moorings Park	888
35	News-Press/Naples Daily News**	840
36	Seminole Casino	800
37	J W Marriott-Marco Island	770
38	Naples Grande Beach Resort	750
39	Perkins Restaurant & Bakery	732
40	Sam’s Club	725
41	Olive Garden Italian Kitchen	715
42	Hendry County Local Government*	699
43	Downing Frye Realty	697
44	WCI Communities Inc	689
45	Burger King	682
46	Marriott-Sanibel Harbour Resort	650
47	RE/MAX Realty	635
48	Outback Steakhouse	633
49	Vi at Bentley Village	615
50	JC Penney	610
51	Costco Wholesale	600
52	John R Wood Properties	600
53	Wendy’s	589
54	Beall’s	588
55	Dillard’s	575
56	Culver’s	560
57	Hyatt Regency-Coconut Point	560
58	Germain Cars	554
59	Carrabba’s Italian Grill	550
60	Raymond Building Supply	534
61	Florida Cancer Specialists	520
62	Cracker Barrel Old Country Str	505
63	Gulf Bay Group Of Companies	500
64	Agmart Produce Inc	500
65	South Seas Sanibel & Captiva	500
66	Chili’s Grill & Bar	494
67	Farm-Op Inc.	480
68	Best Buy	470
69	Taco Bell	464
70	Bonita Bay Club	450
71	Quick Lane	450
72	UPS	435
73	Progressive Waste Solutions	421
74	Palm Automall	415
75	Pizza Hut	408
76	Gettel Automotive	406
77	Galloway Family Of Dealerships	400
78	Salus Care	400
79	LYNX Services LLC	400
80	Harbour Health Center	400
81	Century 21	399
82	West Bay Club	390
83	Lee County Electric Cooperative	386
84	Chick-Fil-A	386
85	Applebee’s	384
86	Kohl’s	381
87	Coldwell Banker	381
88	City of Punta Gorda	379
89	Nordstrom	378
90	Sun Stream Hotels & Resorts	350
91	G4s Secure Solutions USA	350
92	J & J Ag Products Inc	350
93	D & K Harvesting Inc	350
94	Naples Beach Hotel	350
95	Pinchers	343
96	Gasparilla Inn & Club	326
97	Suntrust Bank	325
98	Red Lobster	325
99	Naples Lakes Country Club	320
100	Texas Roadhouse	319

Employment Landscape in Charlotte County 2019

In Charlotte County, the healthcare sector reigned supreme in 2019, with Bayfront Health being the largest employer. The Charlotte County School District and the Charlotte County Local Government follow closely, offering numerous job opportunities for those in Florida’s southwest region.

Retail entities like Walmart and Publix Super Market, as well as home improvement store Home Depot, also feature prominently in the list of largest employers in this county.

• Bayfront Health: 3,060;
• Charlotte County School District: 2,553;
• Charlotte County Local Government: 2,464;
• Walmart: 1,395;
• Publix Super Market: 1,021;
• Home Depot: 600;
• Palm Automall: 415;
• Winn-Dixie: 414;
• Gettel Automotive: 406;
• McDonald’s: 404;
• Harbour Health Center: 400;
• City of Punta Gorda: 379;
• Charlotte Sun: 300;
• Solaris HealthCare Charlotte Harbor: 230;
• Life Care Center Of Punta Gorda: 205;
• Signature Healthcare: 202;
• Port Charlotte Rehabilitation: 172;
• UPS: 170;
• Palm Island Resort: 157;
• Village Place Health & Rehabilitation Center:150;
• Port Charlotte Volkswagen: 150;
• Beall’s: 146;
• Sam’s Club: 145;
• Walgreens: 136;
• Dillard’s: 135.

Job Market in Collier County 2019

Collier County in 2019 saw the NCH Healthcare System as its largest employer. The Collier County School District and Local Government play a big role as well in the county’s employment scenario. It’s interesting to note the prominence of Publix Super Market and Arthrex, Inc. in this region as well.

• NCH Healthcare System: 7,017;
• Collier County School District: 5,604;
• Collier County Local Government: 5,119;
• Publix Super Market: 3,083;
• Arthrex, Inc.: 2,500;
• Walmart: 1,480;
• Ritz Carlton-Naples: 1,450;
• City of Naples: 1,169;
• Physicians Regional: 950;
• Mooring Park: 888;
• Seminole Casino: 800;
• Naples Grande Beach Resort : 750;
• Germain Cars: 554;
• Downing Frye Realty: 550;
• Gulf Bay Group Of Companies: 500;
• Bentley Village A Classic: 500;
• Agmart Produce Inc: 500;
• Home Depot: 480;
• John R Wood Properties: 470;
• McDonald’s: 441;
• Walgreens: 373;
• Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club: 350;
• Naples Lakes Country Club: 320;
• Nordstrom: 313;
• Lowe’s Home Improvement: 310.

Work Opportunities in Lee County 2019

Lee County showcases a mix of top employers with Lee Health again sitting on top, followed by the Lee County School District and Lee County Local Government. Other significant employers include Publix Super Market, Florida Gulf Coast University, and multinational retail corporation, Walmart.

Rank	Company Name	Employment
1	Lee Health**	13,595
2	Lee County School District	12,936
3	Lee County Local Government*	9,038
4	Publix Super Market	4,624
5	Florida Gulf Coast University	3,430
6	Walmart	3,067
7	City of Cape Coral	2,253
8	Hope Hospice	1,630
9	McDonald’s	1,482
10	Florida SouthWestern State College**	1,441
11	Gartner, Inc.**	1,200
12	Chico’s Fas Inc.**	1,147
13	Hertz**	1,110
14	Shell Point Retirement Community	1,100
15	Radiology Regional Center	1,031
16	Winn-Dixie	995
17	City of Fort Myers	988
18	Home Depot	960
19	Target	755
20	Lowe’s Home Improvement	725
21	WCI Communities Inc	689
22	Walgreens	661
23	Marriott-Sanibel Harbour Resort	650
24	Hyatt Regency-Coconut Point	560
25	Perkins Restaurant & Bakery	503

Conclusion

Understanding the employment landscape is crucial for job seekers as well as policy makers. It helps to identify the industries that are thriving and those that might need more support. The information provided can guide employability programs and educational courses to better align with the demands of these top employers.

In a broader sense, this analysis gives us an idea of Florida’s economic health, as well as insights into the sectors that are driving economic growth. Despite the changes brought on by external factors, it’s clear that healthcare, education, government, and retail remain significant contributors to employment opportunities in Florida.