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18 LAS OLAS BOULEVARD & ISLESAccording to the latest Fort Lauderdale Downtown Development Authority Report, young professionals aged 25-44 now make up half of Downtown Fort Lauderdale%u2019s talent, exceeding Austin, Tampa, and Atlanta. Furthermore, these young workers are accepting return-tooffice policies and embracing connectivity.Here%u2019s a brief recap on how Fort Lauderdale is powering South Florida%u2019s economy, defying national office trends and housing powerhouse talent in a competitive job market. The Booming Return to the Office%u2022 Downtown Fort Lauderdale is the sole city (in comparisonwith Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, and Dallas) with decliningoffice vacancy since the peak of the pandemic.%u2022 South Florida is leading the charge on return to work with72% of employees back in the office compared to a nationalaverage of 56%.%u2022 Connectivity is driving Fort Lauderdale%u2019s success with 88% ofemployees living within 5 miles of their workplace back at theoffice compared to 57% in Tampa and 45% in Austin.GDP Growth & High Earning Workforce%u2022 Downtown Fort Lauderdale is driving South Florida%u2019sgrowth with a 20% increase in economic output since 2019,outpacing GDP growth in the Nashville and Tampa metroareas.%u2022 Fort Lauderdale now has a strong concentration of highwage employment based downtown, outperforming Tampa,Nashville, and Austin.Skills & Education%u2022 Downtown%u2019s residential growth showcases an unprecedentedconcentration of talent with half of residents now agedbetween 25 and 44, exceeding downtowns such as Austin,Tampa, and Atlanta.%u2022 62% of downtown residents hold a bachelor%u2019s degree orhigher, outperforming downtowns in Tampa and Atlanta.Explore Fort Lauderdale %u2013 it%u2019s an ideal breeding ground for major companies seeking top-tier talent and a thriving community. For more information, visit FTLDDA.orgDowntown Update By Hayley Princz