EMPLOYMENT

Downtown's Workforce

Downtown employs approximately 40,000 workers and has experienced notable growth that outpaces the city and significantly outpaces county, state and national growth trends when reflecting back on 2020 and 2015 employment levels.

39,700

downtown employees

15.4%

employee increase since 2020

35.7%

employee increase since 2015
Source: On the Map

Five supersectors make up 85% of Downtown's jobs: health services, finance & professional services, leisure & hospitality, government and science.

Downtown’s employment trajectory has been fueled the most by science, leisure & hospitality and finance & professional services occupation growth.
Top Occupations for Job Growth Since 2015

+91.4%

SCIENCE

+84.6%

LEISURE & HOSPITALITY

+71.6%

FINANCE & PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Despite representing the largest employment share of all occupations Downtown, health services slightly declined by almost two percentage points compared to 2020 and 2015. The expansion of the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital campus as well as the opening of the Orlando Health Institute Square complex will grow employment counts within this sector.

By The Numbers

Growing Tomorrow’s Talent

St. Petersburg is making intentional efforts to invest in strengthening the workforce pipeline - a pipeline that begins long before career decisions are being made.

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Office Space

Downtown St. Pete had numerous wins on the office front in 2025, bucking national industry-wide uncertainty stemming from the economy, rise of AI and its potential impacts on jobs, interest rates and stock market volatility.

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Retail

Downtown’s retail mix appeals to locals as well as visitors, integrates independent retailers with chains and reflects a mix of longtime tenants as well as new operators.

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Residential

Development activity over the past decade has significantly increased Downtown's housing stock, shifting it from primarily being a condo market to a more diversified housing mix that includes townhomes, rentals and an increasingly incentivized stream of workforce and affordable units.

LEARN MORE

Downtown's Workforce

Downtown employs approximately 40,000 workers and has experienced notable growth that outpaces the city and significantly outpaces county, state and national growth trends when reflecting back on 2020 and 2015 employment levels.

39,700

downtown employees

15.4%

employee increase since 2020

35.7%

employee increase since 2015
Source: On the Map

Five supersectors make up 85% of Downtown's jobs: health services, finance & professional services, leisure & hospitality, government and science.

Downtown’s employment trajectory has been fueled the most by science, leisure & hospitality and finance & professional services occupation growth.
Top Occupations for Job Growth Since 2015

+91.4%

SCIENCE

+84.6%

LEISURE & HOSPITALITY

+71.6%

FINANCE & PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Despite representing the largest employment share of all occupations Downtown, health services slightly declined by almost two percentage points compared to 2020 and 2015. The expansion of the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital campus as well as the opening of the Orlando Health Institute Square complex will grow employment counts within this sector.

By The Numbers

Growing Tomorrow’s Talent

St. Petersburg is making intentional efforts to invest in strengthening the workforce pipeline - a pipeline that begins long before career decisions are being made.

LEARN MORE
Office Space

Downtown St. Pete had numerous wins on the office front in 2025, bucking national industry-wide uncertainty stemming from the economy, rise of AI and its potential impacts on jobs, interest rates and stock market volatility.

LEARN MORE
Retail

Downtown’s retail mix appeals to locals as well as visitors, integrates independent retailers with chains and reflects a mix of longtime tenants as well as new operators.

LEARN MORE
Residential

Development activity over the past decade has significantly increased Downtown's housing stock, shifting it from primarily being a condo market to a more diversified housing mix that includes townhomes, rentals and an increasingly incentivized stream of workforce and affordable units.

LEARN MORE