Multi-sectoral collaboration between local government, educational institutions, local businesses, and nonprofits has been critical to executing effective workforce development strategies in Miami-Dade County. Yet, employers say that in some instances housing affordability, childcare costs, and lack of accessible public transportation still hinder workers from being able to fully participate in the labor force and achieve economic mobility.
Figure 1. Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President Raphael Bostic, Miami Dade College President Madeline Pumariega, and Early Learning Coalition CEO Evelio Torres chat at Miami Dade College.
In February, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President Raphael Bostic, First Vice President Cheryl Venable, and subject matter experts from the Atlanta Fed's Community and Economic Development (CED) team and Regional Economic Information Network were in Miami to discuss labor market conditions and workforce development strategies with community leaders. The event took place at Miami Dade College, one of the largest and most diverse public education institutions in the country,1 with a vested interest in the workforce of the future in South Florida. Meeting with local experts provided a valuable opportunity for our Fed colleagues to learn about unique community efforts to improve economic mobility,2 strategies that support the talent needs of employers, and address the challenges and opportunities for reducing barriers that low- and moderate-income families face in one of the most populous counties in the Atlanta Fed's geographic footprint.
In welcoming remarks, Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic noted that "workforce development is a key driver of economic mobility and resilience for households and communities," and mentioned the Bank's long history of collaborating with workforce development and other nonprofit organizations in the Miami area. Bostic and Venable heard from community leaders about factors influencing talent supply and demand; barriers to employment, like the lack of affordable housing, lack of affordable quality childcare, and accessible public transportation; examples of successful local collaborations between various stakeholders; and local government policy initiatives that address workforce and economic challenges.
Successful Workforce Development Examples in Miami-Dade County
In comparison to similar, large, urban counties, Miami-Dade's higher education attainment levels are slightly lower, whereby only 36 percent of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher.3 This dynamic in the labor force means that local initiatives such as apprenticeships, internships, and skills-based training programs are especially important for creating career pathways to work for individuals who do not have a four-year degree. Community leaders and policy makers in the meeting highlighted examples of talent development strategies for adult workers and youth alike, noting intentional strategies to leverage federal and state resources to support workforce and economic development. Partners such as CareerSource South Florida, Miami Dade College, the Beacon Council, and the Greater Miami-Dade Chamber work closely together to identify and address talent gaps. Across workforce development, for example, CareerSource South Florida and Miami-Dade's network of local workforce boards make targeted investments through training programs and grants on an ongoing basis to help improve workforce outcomes based on local challenges and opportunities.
The Miami-Dade Public School system is also deeply involved in cultivating the talent pipeline through its summer internship program for high school-aged youth, which aims to develop awareness of educational and career opportunities and improve hard and soft skills. For nearly a decade, the school system has been partnering with organizations like CareerSource South Florida and the Children's Trust to help place high school interns at local companies for summer job training. In 2024, more than 3,000 public high school students participated at over 900 different internship sites, with 69 percent of interns qualifying as economically disadvantaged.4 Key outcomes for all participating interns included improved employability skills, financial literacy training and savings, and completed soft skills training. Participants noted the goal is now to scale these programs and address the high demand for these, and other talent development opportunities.
More to Do
Throughout the conversation, participants highlighted several unique factors at play in Miami-Dade County that affect the labor market environment. For example, Miami-Dade has one of the nation's lowest unemployment rates (2.6 percent as of January 2025)5 and the lowest labor force participation rate (65 percent as of 2023) among benchmark counties. The county also has witnessed large outflow of college-educated residents. With a net outflow of 7.8 individuals per 1,000 people aged 25 or older with a college-degree, as of 2023, Miami has seen the largest net outflow compared to similar counties.6
Figure 2.Participants discuss workforce development collaborations in Miami-Dade County.
Complicating matters is the high cost of housing, which is prevalent in many communities, and especially so in Miami-Dade, as several participants noted. Over the past two years, approximately 60 percent of renter households7 and 34 percent of owner households8 in Miami-Dade were considered cost-burdened, meaning they spent more than 30 percent of their income on housing—both figures among the highest across comparable metro counties nationally. As of January 2025, the average Miami-Dade homeowner spent about 71.3 percent of their income on housing expenses compared to a national average of 47 percent.9 Participants noted that rising home insurance premiums, prevalent across the state, are one factor contributing to this outsized difference, however, supply and demand for housing is a large driver as well. For low-income households, the lack of affordable housing options creates its own challenges. According to research conducted by Miami Homes for All, Miami-Dade is missing an estimated 90,000 units of affordable housing for low-income households. 10
Housing challenges present one of several compounding challenges that families often face. Evelio Torres, CEO of Early Learning Coalition, noted that so many families in this community are "living paycheck to paycheck, one paycheck away from being basically homeless, not being able to pay the rent." Yet even a modest wage increase has the potential to reduce or nullify a family's eligibility for public assistance, resulting in the family being financially worse off than before the wage increase. This phenomenon is known as a "benefits cliff," and can pose a barrier to career advancement for low-income working families who are stretching every dollar to get by. CareerSource South Florida, therefore, is using the Atlanta Fed's CLIFF tools with clients to inform their decisions on training, education, and career pathway goals that support career advancement and the financial needs of households. A group of local economic and family-focused leaders including representatives from all educational levels, business leaders, as well as funders and workforce intermediaries have come together and formed a Fiscal Cliff coalition to identify challenges and system solutions to benefits cliffs and other barriers that may challenge working families from participating fully in the economy.
Noting that the burden of high childcare costs is a persistent community concern for low-income working families, participants shared that a central focus of the Fiscal Cliff coalition has been childcare affordability. They pointed out that many low-income working families with young children cannot access childcare subsidies that would make childcare more affordable because of limited funds and state financial eligibility restrictions. The coalition is working to document the challenges and identify potential community and state solutions. For instance, the Children's Trust is partnering with the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade Monroe on a Thrive by Five initiative to make high-quality early learning programs more affordable and accessible for families and enable parents to sustain employment and seek career advancement.
Looking Ahead: Turning Insight into Action
Overall, the Atlanta Fed team heard that workers and businesses often face compounding barriers that can limit their full participation in the economy. From a shortage of workers to the rising cost of housing and limited childcare options, the issues facing workers and employers in Miami-Dade are complex—but the level of collaboration on display gives reason for optimism. Local leaders are not only identifying problems; they are actively building solutions through partnerships, innovation, and proposed systems change. The Atlanta Fed continues to listen, learn, and engage with communities across the Southeast. The insights gathered here help inform the Federal Reserve's understanding of labor market dynamics and guide future efforts to support maximum sustainable employment across the region.
By Charlene "Charly" van Dijk, CED senior adviser, Sergio Galeano, CED adviser, and Brittany Birken, CED director and principal adviser. The views expressed here are those of the authors' and not necessarily those of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta or the Federal Reserve System. Any remaining errors are the authors' responsibility.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta's Community and Economic Development function supports the Central Bank's mandate of stable prices and maximum employment by helping improve the economic opportunity of low- and moderate-income (LMI) individuals and underserved places for a stronger economy for all Americans. Community development is one of the Federal Reserve's core functions and this responsibility is rooted in its mandates from Congress. Partners Update articles address community and economic development trends, issues, and events. Find more research, use data tools, and sign up for email updates at atlantafed.org/commdev.
1 "About MDC | Miami Dade College," accessed April 14, 2025, https://www.mdc.edu/about/.
2 See Economic Mobility & Resilience- Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta (atlantafed.org).
3 Data for Educational Attainment, American Community Survey, ACS 1-Year Estimates Subject Tables, Table S1501, 2023, US Census Bureau and US Department of Commerce, accessed on April 29, 2025, https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST1Y2023.S1501?q=educational+attainment&g=050XX00US12086.
4 "Summer Youth Internship Program," Miami Dade Career & Technical Education (October 7, 2024), https://ctemiami.net/summer-internships/.
5 Dataset for Unemployment Rate in Miami-Dade County, Florida, January 2025, Unemployment Rate Tool, Federal Reserve Economic Database (FRED), Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, accessed April 24, 2025, https://fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/.
6 "Geographical Mobility in the Past Year by Educational Attainment for Current Residence in the United States," American Community Survey, ACS 1-Year Estimates Detailed Tables, Table B07009, 2023, US Census Bureau and US Department of Commerce, https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT1Y2023.B07009?g=050XX00US12086.
7 Dataset for 2023-2025, Southeastern Rental Affordability Tracker, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, accessed April 24, 2025, https://www.atlantafed.org/community-development/data-and-tools/southeastern-rental-affordability-tracker.
8 Dataset for 2023-2025, Home Ownership Affordability Monitor, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, accessed April 24, 2025, https://www.atlantafed.org/research/data-and-tools/home-ownership-affordability-monitor.
9 Dataset for 2023-2025, Home Ownership Affordability Monitor, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, accessed April 24, 2025, https://www.atlantafed.org/research/data-and-tools/home-ownership-affordability-monitor.
10 2024 Annual Report, Miami Homes for All (2024), https://static1.squarespace.com/static/63f24d816c4950456a945f3c/t/67e56e03c06a612ad390d692/1743089180073/MHFA+2024+Annual+Report.pdf.