RESEARCH REPORTS
The Bureau of Economic and Business Research (BEBR) is a valuable resource for local and state government agencies, private industries, and other research centers. Through our rigorous research and analysis, BEBR provides vital information to help inform decision-making in a variety of areas including education, housing, employment, and health, among other. BEBR also collaborates with other research centers to ensure the accuracy and relevance of their findings.
Highlighted in the table below are a few notable projects from recent studies conducted by the BEBR Economics Analysis Program across various economic sectors. The program’s outstanding track record of earning $331,779 in recent years is a testament to the significance and impact of BEBR’s Economic Analysis research.
| FUNDER | PROJECT TITLE |
|---|---|
| Enterprise Florida Inc. | Export Sales Forecasting Accuracy Model |
| UF Clinical and Translational Science Institute (UF CTSI) | Economic Impacts of the University of Florida Clinical and Translational Science Institute |
| Florida Department of State, Division of Library and Information Services | Florida’s Public Libraries: 21st Century Major Events and 2020 Economic Impact |
| UF Clinical and Translational Science Institute (UF CTSI) | Research Productivity of the University of Florida Clinical and Translational Science Institute |
| Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Civic League of the Halifax Area | Volusia County Public Investment Study |
| Florida Assisted Living Association (FALA) | Florida Assisted Living Facilities Cost of Providing Care |
| Florida Department of Elder Affairs | An Update to the Net Impact of Retirees on Florida’s State and Local Budgets |
| Alachua County, Alachua County Public Schools, City of Gainesville, Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce, Santa Fe College, UF Health, and UF | Understanding Racial Inequity in Alachua County |
| UF Clinical and Translational Science Institute (UF CTSI) | Research Productivity and Economic Impacts of the University of Florida Clinical and Translational Science Institute |
| Cox Communications Southeast Region | Economic Impact Study for Cox Communications in Florida |
| Polk County’s Indigent Healthcare Division | Economic Impact Analysis for Polk County Healthcare Program |
The Net Impact of Retirees On Florida's State and Local Budgets
Publication Type: Fiscal Impact
Pages: 14
Authors: Denslow, David; Schaub, Ray
Division: Economic Analysis
PDF: Download Research Report
Subject Index: Research Report, Retirees, Senior citizens, Taxable sales, Taxes, Florida data.
In spite of welcome hints of relief, state and local budgets in Florida face challenges in matching revenue and spending. Revenue has fallen sharply from trend with the national downward shift in job growth and the collapse of the housing boom. Meanwhile the rapid long-run growth of state and local medical spending has been joined by the need to augment funding for public pensions. The 3 federal government, burdened by its own deficits and under pressure to restrain taxes, is in no position to come to the rescue.
There is, however, a bright spot. The retiring baby boomers who will reside in Florida, both those who age in place after living and working here and those who move here after retiring, will ease state and local fiscal stress. At the federal level, the baby boomers are a budget burden through Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. At the state and local level, in contrast, their Medicaid burden is more than offset by their having almost no children in school and by their paying higher property taxes.
Polk County Healthcare Study: An Economic Analysis Of Polk County’s Indigent Health Care Tax And Safety Net Program
Publication Type: Economic Impact
Pages: 35
Authors: Sandoval, Hector H.; Rowe, Steven; Walsh, Anita; Porter, Colleen K.
Division: Economic Analysis
PDF: Download Research Report
Subject Index: Research Report, Health, County data.
Polk County, Florida’s Indigent Health Care program guarantees the provision of quality health care to the indigent and medically poor residents of the county. For the past 11 years, a one-half cent sales surtax approved by voters in Polk County in 2004 has provided funding for medical and dental services to hundreds of thousands of Polk’s most vulnerable people.
The University of Florida’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research (BEBR) conducted a study to determine the economic impact associated with the Indigent Health Care program. Qualitative research included semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, including physicians and administrators of hospitals and clinics.
A Micro-Location Model Of Public Investment In Pedestrian Safety Capital
Publication Type: Benefit-Cost, Public Policy, Transportation
Pages: 23
Authors: Lenze, David G.
Division: N/A
PDF: Download Research Report
Subject Index: Deaths, Pedestrian safety, Policy Studies, Public policy, Transportation
This paper presents a micro-location model of public investment in pedestrian safety capital. A special case of the model predicts that economies of scale in safety capital can offset the effect of rising population density on the pedestrian fatality rate. Using county level data we confirm this prediction empirically and measure the elasticity of the fatality rate with respect to civil time of sunrise and sunset, sales at bars, highway lane miles, income, climate, and tourism. Pedestrian fatalities on interstate highways are shown to differ from those elsewhere. Other accidents are shown to be the best pedestrian exposure measure on interstates.
An Inter-Urban Wage Test Of The Monocentric Model
Publication Type: N/A
Pages: 28
Authors: Dewey, Jim; Rojas, Gabriel Montes
Division: Economic Analysis
PDF: Download Research Report
Subject Index: N/A
We present a simple test of the monocentric model based on variations in inter-urban wage differentials by occupation. We classify occupations as more or less central according to the density of employment where job holders in those occupations work. Our conjecture is that more central occupations receive differentially higher wages in larger cities, since workers in those occupations face a less desirable locus of housing prices and commuting times than those who have jobs in residential areas. The results presented in the empirical section are consistent with this hypothesis, and they are robust to the inclusion of individual-specific human capital variables and city-specific controls. These findings have implications for inter-urban cost of living indexes, where wages are used to approximate the true cost of living.
Analysis Of A Florida Beverage Container Deposit Refund System
Publication Type: Benefit-Cost, Economic Impact, Fiscal Impact, Program Evaluation, Industrial and Occupational Structure, Public Policy, Revenue Forecasting, Taxation
Pages: 20
Authors: Dewey, James F; Denslow, David; Chavez, Belen; Romero, Henrique; Holt, Lynne
Division: Economic Analysis
PDF: Download Research Report
Subject Index: N/A
This report presents the results of an independent assessment of a potential beverage container deposit refund system for Florida, conducted by the Economic Analysis Program of the Bureau of Economic and Business Research at the University of Florida, and funded by Owens Illinois, Inc. While the analysis represents the best professional judgment of the project team, it does not necessarily represent the views of either Owens Illinois Inc. or the University of Florida.
Analytical Services Relating To Property Taxation – PART 2: Revenue Component
Publication Type: Fiscal Impact, Regional Modeling, Housing, Property Taxes, Public Policy, Revenue Forecasting, Taxation
Pages: 264
Authors: Archer, Wayne R.; Denslow, David A.; Dewey, James F.; Gatzlaff, Dean H.; Johns, Tracy L.; Macpherson, David A.; Norrbin, Stefan C.; Schlagenhauf, Donald E.; Scicchitano, Michael J.; Sirmans, G. Stacy; Stroh, Robert C.; Williamson, Anne R.
Division: Economic Analysis
PDF: Download Research Report
Subject Index: Property taxes, Public policy, Save Our Homes
The interaction between the Save Our Homes assessment limit and Florida’s housing boom created a property tax system riddled with inequities and inefficiencies. The inequities are obvious, and the newspapers are filled with examples: neighbors with similar houses but one paying twice the property tax of the other. A more subtle inequity is that Save Our Homes favors homesteaders over renters, who on average are less affluent. The inefficiencies are both economic and political.
Annual IRS In- And Out-Migration Data For MSAs, 1985-86 To 2007-08
Publication Type: Regional Modeling, Industrial and Occupational Structure, Labor Force and Labor Markets
Pages: 1
Authors: Denslow, David
Division: Economic Analysis
PDF: Download Research Report
PDF: Download 85-92 Research Report
Subject Index: Deaths, Pedestrian safety, Policy Studies, Public policy, Transportation
The Internal Revenue Service tracks movements of tax filers annually from county to county. If a filer listed their address as Orange County, CA in 2007, and Maricopa County, AZ in 2008, then that person is counted as a 2007-08 migrant from Orange County to Maricopa County. In the downloadable file, we have reorganized some of the IRS data into tables containing in-migration, out-migration, and net migration by MSA from 1992-93 to 2007-08.
Baby Boom Retirees - 2012 Florida Regional Economic Symposium
Publication Type: N/A
Pages: 21
Authors: Dewey, James F; Denslow, David
Division: Economic Analysis
PDF: Download Research Report
Subject Index: N/A
By 2030, approximately 26% of Floridians will be age 65 or older, up from 17% in 2010. In standard regional general equilibrium models, retirees and the local workers who produce goods and services for them drive up housing prices and thus crowd out workers that produce for export beyond the local area. Job skill in Florida’s metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) in 2004 (before the peak of the housing bubble and ensuing crash) was 4 percentage points below the national average, using national average pay as a measure of occupational skill. Half of the short-fall is attributable to Florida’s specialization in serving retirees and another third is attributable to lower shares of college graduates, which is in turn related to retiree specialization. As an example of less direct mechanisms through which retirees may make an area less suited to high-skill jobs, the elasticity of airline departures with respect to the retiree share of the local population is estimated to be –4.2.
Consumer Protection In The Digital Age
Publication Type: Public Policy
Pages: 18
Authors: Holt, Lynne; McMacManus, Susan A.
Division: Economic Analysis
PDF: Download Research Report
Subject Index: Public Policy
March 2-8 is National Consumer Protection Week and to underscore the importance of and need for consumer protection, researchers Dr. Lynne Holt, University of Florida, and Dr. Susan MacManus, University of South Florida, jointly review several types of fraudulent practices that often result in consumer complaints in Florida: identity theft; health insurance fraud; fraud related to home repair, mortgages, and home insurance; and auto repair fraud and price gouging. In “Consumer Protection in the Digital Age,” Holt and MacManus outline government measures to reduce fraudulent practices and analyze data from recent BEBR surveys to explain Floridians’ attitudes toward and concerns about consumer fraud and the manner in which it is perpetrated.
Consumers' Attitude Toward Energy Conservation And Energy Efficiency: The Role Of Electric Rates
Publication Type: Industrial and Occupational Structure, Public Policy
Pages: 7
Authors: Dewey, James F; Denslow, David
Division: Economic Analysis
PDF: Download Research Report
Subject Index: Energy
Federal, state, and utility measures provide incentives for people to use electricity more efficiently or consume less energy. However, the effectiveness of such incentives depends on consumers’ behavior. Through analysis of survey data, Dr. Lynne Holt and Ms. Carol Jacobson Larson explain consumers’ attitudes toward energy conservation and energy efficiency as a means of meeting Florida’s electricity needs. Of particular interest is the use of electric rates in affecting consumer behavior.
Doing Business In Florida: Florida Statistical Data Resources
Publication Type: N/A
Pages: 8
Authors: Holt, Lynne; McMacManus, Susan A.
Division: N/A
PDF: Download Research Report
Subject Index: N/A
With a population of over 17 million residents, Florida is the fourth most populous and the third fastest growing state in the nation. It garners national and international interest in demographic, economic, and social statistics from people interested in moving to or visiting the state, starting businesses, financing business ventures, or planning for the state’s growth. This paper explores various resources for obtaining data about Florida.
Economic Aspects Of Potential Legal Challenges To Save Our Homes Portability Proposals
Publication Type: Fiscal Impact, Housing, Property Taxes, Public Policy
Pages: 18
Authors: Holt, Lynne
Division: N/A
PDF: Download Research Report
Subject Index: Property taxes, Public policy, Save Our Homes, Taxes
Several proposals for major changes in Florida’s state and local tax systems are now under discussion. The intense interest in taxes, and especially property taxes, arises from the interaction of Save Our Homes (SOH) and the recent housing boom.
Economic Implications Of Florida’s Proposed Property Tax Amendment
Publication Type: Fiscal Impact, Regional Modeling, Housing, Property Taxes, Public Policy, Taxation
Pages: 10
Authors: Dewey, James F.; Denslow, David; Holt, Lynne; Lotfinia, Babak
Division: Economic Analysis
PDF: Download Research Report
Subject Index: Economy, Housing, Property taxes, Public policy
On January 29 of this year, Floridians will vote on a proposed constitutional amendment to reform the state’s property tax system. This proposal arose in response to widespread and growing dissatisfaction with the state’s current system of property taxation. Residents’ complaints about the tax system may be that total taxes are too high, that the distribution of taxes is inequitable, that high taxes on business make Florida uncompetitive, or that the current system “locks” owners in their present homestead properties.
Florida And Orlando: Choosing The Future After The Recession
Publication Type: Regional Modeling, Development, Public Policy
Pages: 11
Authors: Holt, Lynne; Colburn, David
Division: N/A
PDF: Download Research Report
Subject Index: Community development, Economy, Public policy, Recession, City data, Florida data
The Reubin O’D Askew Institute on Politics and Society has partnered with the Bureau of Economic and Business Research to develop a series of Florida Focus papers that highlight how various regions in Florida are positioning themselves to move forward after the Great Recession. This paper – the second in the series – is a background essay written for participants in a meeting titled “Orlando: Choosing Our Future after the Great Recession,” that was co‐sponsored by the Askew Institute and the City of Orlando on May 18, 2011.
Florida County Retail Price And Wage Indices 2004
Publication Type: Regional Modeling, Cost of Living, Housing, Industrial and Occupational Structure, Labor Force and Labor Markets, Wages and Compensation
Pages: 10
Authors: Bureau of Economic and Business Research
Division: Economic Analysis
PDF: Download Research Report
Subject Index: Cost of living, Earnings, Economy, Education, Employment, Florida County Retail Price and Wage Indices, Prices, Publications, Wages, County data, Florida data
This report presents and discusses the 2004 Florida County Retail Price Index, the FCRPI, and the 2004 Florida County Wage Index, the FCWI, produced by the Bureau of Economic and Business Research, BEBR, at the University of Florida.
Florida County Retail Price And Wage Indices 2005
Publication Type: Regional Modeling, Cost of Living, Housing, Industrial and Occupational Structure, Labor Force and Labor Markets, Wages and Compensation
Pages: 7
Authors: Dewey, James F.; Denslow, David; Lotfinia, Babak T.
Division: Economic Analysis
PDF: Download Research Report
Subject Index: Cost of living, Earnings, Economy, Education, Employment, Florida County Retail Price and Wage Indices, Prices, Publications, Wages, County data, Florida data
This report presents and discusses the 2005 editions of the Florida County Retail Price Index (FCRPI) and the Florida County Wage Index (FCWI), produced by the Bureau of Economic and Business Research (BEBR) at the University of Florida.
Florida County Retail Price And Wage Indices 2006
Publication Type: Regional Modeling, Cost of Living, Housing, Industrial and Occupational Structure, Labor Force and Labor Markets, Wages and Compensation
Pages: 9
Authors: Bureau of Economic and Business Research
Division: Economic Analysis
PDF: Download Research Report
Subject Index: Cost of living Earnings, Economy, Education, Employment, Florida County Retail Price and Wage Indices, Prices, Publications, Wages, County data, Florida data
This report presents and discusses the 2006 editions of the Florida County Retail Price Index (FCRPI) and the Florida County Wage Index (FCWI), produced by the Bureau of Economic and Business Research (BEBR) at the University of Florida. In the narrowest sense, the FCRPI measures the relative expenditure required to purchase the same basket of goods and services purchased by the average Floridian in each of Florida’s counties at a particular point in time, in this case August 2006.
Florida County Retail Price And Wage Indices 2007
Publication Type: Regional Modeling, Cost of Living, Housing, Industrial and Occupational Structure, Labor Force and Labor Markets, Wages and Compensation
Pages: 8
Authors: Bureau of Economic and Business Research
Division: Economic Analysis
PDF: Download Research Report
Subject Index: Cost of living, Earnings, Economy, Education, Employment, Florida County Retail Price and Wage Indices, Prices, Publications, Wages, County data, Florida data.
This report presents and discusses the 2007 editions of the Florida County Retail Price Index (FCRPI) and the Florida County Wage Index (FCWI), produced by the Bureau of Economic and Business Research (BEBR) at the University of Florida.