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Chief legislative economist Amy Baker
Photo: Rick Flagg
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by Rick Flagg and Alan McBride
TALLAHASSEE, FLA. -- Florida deals with an old adage when it comes to the size of the average paycheck : "You get paid in sunshine."
Federal figures indicate that, while this isn't the literal truth, Floridians are getting smaller paychecks than workers in most other states.
Economist Amy Baker says wages here are about 89 percent of the national average.
"The reason for that largely becomes related to the leisure and hospitality sector," he said. It's a large player in the state, but it has low wages and tends to bring down the overall average.
Tourism is the state's top industry and employs more than one million Floridians.
Baker says tourism and leisure constitute such a dominant force in the state's economy that it's unlikely the Sunshine State will close the salary gap any time soon.
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