Tampa Bay economy picks up jobs, but trails regional competitiors

Business Intelligence Officer Dave Sobush said at a news conference at the Partnership's headquarters that the Tampa Bay area did not have a "fatal flaw" in any of the five categories that make up the score for that grade, which includes congestion, commute time, vehicle miles traveled per capita and transit ridership. He said that officials with both local major transit agencies, HART & PSTA, have said that down economies drive transit ridership.

One statistic that seems endemic to the Tampa Bay area is the fact that paid salaries consistently are lower than in the five other metropolitan area included in the bi-annual study.

Another interesting tidbit from the report: The region is tough on renters. Despite the fact that Tampa Bay residents in comparison with the other five regions have the lowest income, the Bay area has the third highest rental rate of the six cities surveyed.

The Tampa Bay Partnership reviews the economic development trends of six metropolitan areas for the regional economic scorecard, which is released twice a year.