Census a warning sign on economy
OUR OPINION: Latest Census figures a wake-up call for South Florida
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•Foreign-born population dips in South Florida
Foreign-born population dips in South Florida
The immigration-fueled population engine that for decades has powered Miami-Dade County's growth is sputtering, new estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau suggest.

The county's population, which in recent years had grown by as much as 20,000 annually, stood at just below 2.4 million in 2008, effectively little changed since 2006, according to data from the annual American Community Survey, which will be released Tuesday.

During that period, the number of Miami-Dade's foreign-born residents dipped, driving down the foreign-born proportion of the county's population from just above 50 percent in 2007 to just below that in 2008, the last year for which survey data is available.

•Count 'em up: Census Bureau has jobs
Count 'em up: Census Bureau has jobs
No matter whether the economy is shaky, here is one job you can count on: U.S. Census worker.

The U.S. Census Bureau is looking to fill 400 to 1,000 positions apiece in Miami-Dade and Broward counties in anticipation of the 2010 Census.

''It's sad to talk about the economy, but for the census to come along paying anywhere from $12 to $16 an hour, and offering flexible scheduling, it's great timing,'' said Pamela Page-Bellis, a spokeswoman for the Census Bureau.

•Population decline seen for Broward, Monroe counties
Population decline seen for Broward, Monroe counties
Broward County is leading the state in population loss, with nearly 13,000 fewer people expected to live in the county by 2010, according to a new University of Florida study.

Miami-Dade County is expected to gain about 3,500 people during the same period, while Monroe will lose 1,500, according to data released Monday by UF's Bureau of Business and Economic Research.

Florida has traditionally depended on newcomers to fuel economic growth, so sluggish population gains aren't good news for the economy.

•Experts share grim outlook on economy
Experts share grim outlook on economy
As bad as 2008 was for the region's economy, our troubles won't be ending anytime soon.

The earliest economists foresee a recovery is the middle of this year, and most think that's optimistic. The end of 2009 or the first half of 2010 is more likely.

But the start of a recovery won't mean an instant shift from cloudy skies to sunshine. Economists worry that this recession could resemble an ''L'' more than a ''U.'' In other words, when the economy stops declining, it could start moving sideways rather than sharply upward.

•S. Florida a hot spot for uninsured
S. Florida a hot spot for uninsured
A stunning 53 percent of adults aged 18-64 in Hialeah lack health insurance -- almost three times the national average. Meanwhile, only 13.8 percent of that age group in Weston are uninsured -- the lowest rate in South Florida.

Such exact numbers became available for the first time Tuesday as the U.S. Census Bureau published the most detailed information ever about where the uninsured are located, including all communities with a population over 70,000.

As the nation's leaders continue to argue about the merits of healthcare reform, the 2008 data, released as part of the American Community Survey, confirmed what has long been known -- that Florida in general and South Florida in particular have unusually high rates of uninsured.
What, if anything, should be made of the latest U.S. Census information in South Florida? At the least it should trigger an acknowledgment of how dependent the region is on its immigrants.

Reflecting a national trend, Miami-Dade and Broward counties' foreign-born populations dropped between 2007 and 2008, according to the U.S. Census. This comes on the heels of a University of Florida study reporting that, for the first time in recent memory, Florida's population as a whole declined between 2008 and 2009. Florida International University's Metropolitan Center also has pointed to a ``black brain drain'' from Miami-Dade as middle-class African Americans search for better jobs elsewhere.

Immigration is down in general in the United States as a result of the dismal economy. And migrants already here are returning to their home countries for lack of jobs.

Economy relies on growth

The majority of population growth in Miami-Dade, and to a lesser extent, Broward, in recent years has been from migration from other countries, primarily from the Caribbean and Latin America. Our economies depend on this immigration growth to fuel the new development that generates property taxes for local governments, and many immigrants find jobs that are part of the huge tourism industry here.

So, with construction and tourism being the mainstays of local economies, the drop in foreign immigration -- if it continues past the current recession -- could have a detrimental impact. Just one little blip in what has been a reliable constant fueling our growth shows how vulnerable South Florida's economy is to economic downturns.

The solution, of course, is to diversify the economy. That's going to have to happen eventually because South Florida simply can't continue to sustain itself on building more and more subdivisions. The bank of developable land is shrinking, for one thing. And resources, such as drinking water, must be conserved for future generations.

Develop regional plan

The time to diversify is now. With several robust universities South Florida has no end of smart, talented experts who could pool their knowledge with business and political leaders to come up with a regional plan that makes the most of our diverse population and our unique assets.

Expanding the revenue base so that our economy is no longer a hostage to the boom-and-bust construction cycle is crucial to the region's future well-being. The beginnings of diversification are already here. North Broward is taking advantage of the Scripps Institute's move to Palm Beach County. The University of Miami is a leader in expanding medical research. Florida International University specializes in Latin American issues -- from rain forests to converting illicit drug economies to legitimate revenue sources.

No one can say we haven't been warned about how vulnerable our economy is. The Census information is simply the latest tolling bell. Now is the time to act.


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