Overview
- The Florida Chamber of Commerce unveiled a large digital billboard in Times Square Monday that reads “Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Florida Economic Developer of the Year, thank you for the jobs,” a move the group says highlights migration from New York to Florida.
- The Chamber cited IRS-based migration figures it says show Florida gaining roughly $2.4 million in net taxable income per hour and 551 residents daily while New York loses about $1.1 million per hour and 115 residents daily.
- New York City Hall pushed back, saying the city has posted recent job gains, a strengthening Manhattan office market, and rising venture-capital inflows as evidence the local economy remains resilient under Mayor Mamdani.
- The Chamber says the billboard is the opening salvo of a wider “Free Enterprise Florida” campaign that will target other cities to promote lower taxes and lighter regulation as a policy model.
- The stunt spotlights longer-term trends that began in 2020, with Census and IRS data showing multi-year out-migration from New York to places like Florida, a shift that can erode city tax bases, affect municipal services, and influence where developers and wealthy buyers choose to invest.