Northwest Florida is on track to retain nearly half of the roughly 5,200 service members who leave the military here each year, according to new data released this week, seeding the civilian workforce with about 2,250 veterans annually — many mid‑career, degree‑holding and already cleared for sensitive work.
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The findings, compiled by the University of West Florida’s Haas Center for the regional economic development group Florida’s Great Northwest, quantify a pipeline long cited by local leaders. Survey responses across the 13‑county region show 47.3% of separating personnel plan to remain in Northwest Florida, 33.6% plan to move elsewhere, and 19.1% are undecided. A broader 77.9% say they intend to stay somewhere in Florida. The most common reasons to remain are family ties (45.6%), job opportunities (22.2%), and cost of living (8.7%)…