Tampa Bay jobs: EDC highlights growth and career training

A worker managing date packaging in a modern industrial facility, ensuring quality control. Stock photo by Mark Stebnicki via Pexels. Career training and access to Tampa Bay jobs are central to the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council’s priorities for the coming year. Projects announced during fiscal year 2026 are expected to bring 1,888 jobs and more than $221 million in capital investment to Hillsborough County. The 22 projects include eight newly recruited companies and 14 expansions by existing businesses. Together, the announced jobs carry an average annual wage of $85,046, according to Craig Richard, the EDC’s president and CEO. “The quality and availability of talent is the number one reason companies choose our market, and that’s been the case for years,” Richard says. The organization outlined its results at its October 14 annual meeting, where it announced Casey Ellison, CEO of Ellison Companies, as its new board chair. Its priorities include working with employ