ARTICLE: Brandon In-Depth

Commonly known as the area where the Ringling Brothers began amassing their vast empire of circuses and carnivals, the Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida region has remained a major tourist center throughout the greater part of the 20th century, owing to the surrounding beaches, beautiful weather, and thriving circus culture. According to population estimates, the entire county serves 366,000 residents (Sarasota, FL 52,000), (Bradenton, FL 54,000), and (Venice, FL 21,000). Although income estimates vary according to location and season, today's per capita earnings hover around $38,000 a year--a far cry from the area's history. This region was hit harder than most regions during the heavy speculation that preceded the 1929 stock crash. Both beach tourism and lasting monuments to the Ringling legacy still help fuel the local economy, but larger players have arrived on the scene to become the top Sarasota County employers, including: Wal-Mart Sun Hydraulics Home Depot Employees range from unskilled laborers to extremely skilled technical specialists. In addition, large percentages of the local employment come from the public sector: Sarasota Memorial Hospital The Sarasota County schools Local, state, and federal governments Sarasota has enjoyed some of the largest employment growth in the Florida region, with the largest increase owing to increased federal and local spending on government jobs. With the exception of a few major corporate entities, many of the larger businesses in the Sarasota-Bradenton area have begun downsizing and outsourcing their labor needs. But even with this downsizing trend, total employment grew roughly 5.7% between 1990 and 1998. Sources: Marty Nemko Sarasota Chamber of Commerce US Census Bureau, American Fact Finder Wikipedia Back to top↑

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