Florida and Puerto Rico have long had a close relationship — one Central Florida companies and agencies are now capitalizing on to recruit workers from the island for jobs here.Lixia Díaz is one example of that. On a sunny day in Puerto Rico, she put herself through the paces of the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office physical abilities test.”Puerto people very workers and never give up,” she said, as she completed the same course prospective deputies must endure in Seminole County. >> Compañías se dirigen hacia Puerto Rico para reclutar trabajadores mientras populación latina en Florida Central creceIn May, SCSO went to the island looking to fill positions for corrections and street deputies here. “More often, we’re hearing requests on the radio, requests in our correctional facilities, for Spanish-speaking deputies to help translate,” Sheriff Dennis Lemma told us. He sid recruiting has become a focus for the department, and it’s proven fruitful.”I like to mirror the community that we serve,” Lemma said. “I think we’ve had some great success with the folks we’ve hired from Puerto Rico policing agencies and corrections agencies.”They’re not the only ones who’ve seen the benefits of a relationship with the island. In 2022, Orlando Health created a partnership with a Puerto Rican health system and expanded it in 2023. Orlando Health now has branded health offices and clinics in at least five cities in Puerto Rico.”I think there’s a recognition by, you know, the local agencies that … there’s a lot of Puerto Ricans here, but we can also find a lot of quality people in Puerto Rico that have the training,” said Fernando Rivera, a sociology professor and director of the University of Central Florida Puerto Rico Research Hub.Rivera’s research at UCF focuses, in part, on the process of incorporation of Puerto Ricans into Central Florida. He said the sheer number of Latinos in Central Florida has created a need for bilingual and Latino-focused services, and a new pool of qualified workers to fulfill them.” percentage of the population that has degrees in higher education is very high in Puerto Rico,” Rivera said. “The advantage of Puerto Rico is that we are a territory of the United States. So a lot of the things are similar, kind of like law enforcement, currency, language instruction, and health care.”Data from The Hub shows essential workers like teachers, police, and nurses make thousands more on average in Central Florida when compared with salaries in Puerto Rico. One of the bigger disparities was with nurses and health care in particular, where the average difference in pay was more than $40,000.Data from the Institute of Statistics of Puerto Rico The Hub cited in a recent study shows several jobs in different industries saw workers leave the island for better opportunities, in 2021 and 2022. Jobs in business, engineering, education, health, and food service saw the biggest shifts.Some of the candidates the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office interviewed in Puerto Rico told us the territory’s ongoing economic crisis, and the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, are fueling their desire to leave.”After Maria, nothing’s been the same,” Puerto Rico resident Victor Sanchez said. “Everything’s a bit slower.”However, Hub research intern Raphael Merrit said their research also found that migration is cyclical; while some stay in Central Florida, others go back.”You’ll find people who might have a house in Kissimmee or Poinciana, and they still have their house back home,” Merritt said. “People aren’t always coming to Florida and completely ditching Puerto Rico.”That’s something Rivera said could be of benefit to Puerto Rico, as it drives competition and a rise in salaries. “There’s a lot of incentives, but there’s an opportunity to really innovative and provide better services to your local constituency and to the Puerto Rican constituency out there,” Rivera said.That is something people like Díaz are hopeful for.”My children want more opportunity in the schools,” she said. ” better life.”
Florida and Puerto Rico have long had a close relationship — one Central Florida companies and agencies are now capitalizing on to recruit workers from the island for jobs here.
Lixia Díaz is one example of that.
On a sunny day in Puerto Rico, she put herself through the paces of the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office physical abilities test.
“Puerto [Rican] people [are] very [hard] workers and never give up,” she said, as she completed the same course prospective deputies must endure in Seminole County.
In May, SCSO went to the island looking to fill positions for corrections and street deputies here.
“More often, we’re hearing requests on the radio, requests in our correctional facilities, for Spanish-speaking deputies to help translate,” Sheriff Dennis Lemma told us. He sid recruiting has become a focus for the department, and it’s proven fruitful.
“I like to mirror the community that we serve,” Lemma said. “I think we’ve had some great success with the folks we’ve hired from Puerto Rico policing agencies and corrections agencies.”
They’re not the only ones who’ve seen the benefits of a relationship with the island. In 2022, Orlando Health created a partnership with a Puerto Rican health system and expanded it in 2023. Orlando Health now has branded health offices and clinics in at least five cities in Puerto Rico.
“I think there’s a recognition by, you know, the local agencies that … there’s a lot of Puerto Ricans here, but we can also find a lot of quality people in Puerto Rico that have the training,” said Fernando Rivera, a sociology professor and director of the University of Central Florida Puerto Rico Research Hub.
Rivera’s research at UCF focuses, in part, on the process of incorporation of Puerto Ricans into Central Florida. He said the sheer number of Latinos in Central Florida has created a need for bilingual and Latino-focused services, and a new pool of qualified workers to fulfill them.
“[The] percentage of the population that has degrees in higher education is very high in Puerto Rico,” Rivera said. “The advantage of Puerto Rico is that we are a territory of the United States. So a lot of the things are similar, kind of like law enforcement, currency, language instruction, and health care.”
Data from The Hub shows essential workers like teachers, police, and nurses make thousands more on average in Central Florida when compared with salaries in Puerto Rico. One of the bigger disparities was with nurses and health care in particular, where the average difference in pay was more than $40,000.
Data from the Institute of Statistics of Puerto Rico The Hub cited in a recent study shows several jobs in different industries saw workers leave the island for better opportunities, in 2021 and 2022. Jobs in business, engineering, education, health, and food service saw the biggest shifts.
Some of the candidates the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office interviewed in Puerto Rico told us the territory’s ongoing economic crisis, and the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, are fueling their desire to leave.
“After [Hurricane] Maria, nothing’s been the same,” Puerto Rico resident Victor Sanchez said. “Everything’s a bit slower.”
However, Hub research intern Raphael Merrit said their research also found that migration is cyclical; while some stay in Central Florida, others go back.
“You’ll find people who might have a house in Kissimmee or Poinciana, and they still have their house back home,” Merritt said. “People aren’t always coming to Florida and completely ditching Puerto Rico.”
That’s something Rivera said could be of benefit to Puerto Rico, as it drives competition and a rise in salaries.
“There’s a lot of incentives, but there’s an opportunity to really innovative and provide better services to your local constituency and to the Puerto Rican constituency out there,” Rivera said.
That is something people like Díaz are hopeful for.
“My children want more opportunity in the schools,” she said. “[A] better life.”
