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Why it matters: This is the third year of the national lifeguard shortage. Experts tell Axios they worry that fewer guards will mean a higher chance of drownings and pool injuries.

Adam Katchmarchi, executive director of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance, said what scares him is some facilities will choose to operate when they don't have enough safety staff.

"One of the biggest risks is we're losing some of our safer swimming environments for families over the summer," Katchmarchi said.

The big picture: About a third of more than 309,000 public pools around the country are affected by the shortage, per estimates from the American Lifeguard Association.

This doesn't include beaches, water parks and other venues, which also may have to trim hours, stay closed or operate with "no lifeguard on duty" signs.

What's happening: The pandemic "wiped the slate of certified lifeguards completely clean," Bernard J. Fisher II, director of health and safety at the lifeguard association, told Axios.

The recertification of existing lifeguards, which is required every two years, could also contribute to this year's shortage.

Zoom in: In Tampa Bay, and likely throughout the state, beaches have been the most difficult to staff, and finding year-round guards at pools is tough, local aquatics directors told Axios.

Andrea Moreira, who manages lifeguards for Pinellas County beaches, said it's been hard to get guards in stands for the past few seasons. The county currently needs 12 full-time seasonal lifeguards.

"We've been struggling for a while," Moreira told Axios. "We make it happen, but since we are short we can never cover the seven days a week we're supposed to."

The intrigue: In the thick of the pandemic, local beaches were fully staffed, Moreira said.

But a pandemic factor driving the shortage could be that remote work is now more appealing than lifeguarding, she said.

Peggy Lenny, Tampa's Parks and Recreation team supervisor, said lifeguarding is struggling alongside other service industries with less flexibility than work-from-home jobs.

Between the lines: Beach guarding requires rigorous training, and both beach and pool guards can't use their phones on the stand.

What they're saying: According to Moreira, the solutions to the shortage are simple: Pay lifeguards more and give them better benefits.

Pinellas County beach lifeguards, who work through extreme heat and storms and have to do physical training each day, make $18 per hour to start. The average salary for a lifeguard in the area is $16-$18, Moreira said.

"Being a lifeguard used to be a big deal. Now, no one's interested anymore," Moreira said. "My friends' kids would rather go and serve tables … Some people would rather be in AC all day."

Tampa Bay lifeguard shortage stokes wave of concern

Beaches have been the most difficult to staff and finding year-round pool guards is tough, local aquatics directors told Axios.

Illustration of lifeguard towers stylized as a downward trending bar chart, shrinking in size. 

The lifeguarding industry needs saving.Why it matters: This is the third year of the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="national lifeguard shortage" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/05/28/lifeguard-shortage-pool-hours-closings?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter_axioslocal_portland&amp;stream=top" data-vars-content-id="6b212e49-14f5-4b55-892b-75a1763c6c27" data-vars-headline="Tampa Bay lifeguard shortage stokes wave of concern" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/05/28/lifeguard-shortage-pool-hours-closings?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter_axioslocal_portland&amp;stream=top" target="_self">national lifeguard shortage</a>. Experts tell Axios they worry that fewer guards will mean a higher chance of drownings and pool injuries.

News

COVID

Parents are heading into the 2025 back-to-school season facing rising prices and looming tariffs — forcing them to shop smarter and earlier.

Why it matters: Back-to-school is the second-biggest retail event of the year, after the holidays.

This season is a stress test for family budgets and a strategy test for retailers trying to hold onto value-conscious shoppers.

Catch up quick: New U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports — including backpacks, pens, binders and shoes — kicked in earlier this year, rose sharply, then came back down to levels still historically high.

Some retailers stocked up early and "purchased a lot in advance, and some didn't purchase as much because of the uncertainty," Deborah Weinswig, CEO of Coresight Research, told Axios.

Zoom in: Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law this year a permanent, annual back-to-school sales tax exemption throughout August on clothing, shoes, backpacks, school supplies and personal computers.

Clothing, footwear, wallets and bags priced at $100 or less are exempt from sales tax. Jewelry, watches and umbrellas aren't.

School supplies priced at $50 or less per item are included, such as pens, pencils, binders and lunch boxes. Personal computers and related accessories priced at $1,500 or less are also tax-free.

The big picture: 67% of back-to-school shoppers had already started buying for the coming school year as of early June, according to the National Retail Federation's annual survey of nearly 7,600 consumers.

This is up from 55% last year and the highest since NRF started tracking early shopping in 2018, the group said.

51% of families said they are shopping earlier this year compared with last year, "out of concern that prices will rise due to tariffs."

By the numbers: Stationery and supplies prices have risen 30% over the past five years, according to Deloitte's 2025 back-to-school survey.

Between May 2021 and 2025, boys' apparel climbed 14%, girls' apparel and footwear were each up 4%, while personal computers and peripheral equipment fell 11%.

"Parents are experiencing overall economic pressures and need to make decisions about what they buy," Brian McCarthy, principal of retail strategy at Deloitte Consulting LLP, told Axios.

Yes, but:  The full impact of tariffs hasn't hit store shelves yet, and back-to-school season may be the first test of how much price pressure shoppers will tolerate, per a Wells Fargo Investment Institute report.

What tariffs mean for back-to-school shopping in Florida

Back-to-school is the second-biggest retail event of the year, after the holidays.

Illustration of a dollar made out of chalk on a chalkboard being erased

Parents are heading into the 2025 back-to-school season facing <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="rising prices" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/07/10/trump-tariffs-shoes" data-vars-content-id="75606e68-20f4-48ee-8870-862584a1aa65" data-vars-headline="What tariffs mean for back-to-school shopping in Florida" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/07/10/trump-tariffs-shoes" target="_self">rising prices</a> and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="looming tariffs" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/economy/tariffs" data-vars-content-id="75606e68-20f4-48ee-8870-862584a1aa65" data-vars-headline="What tariffs mean for back-to-school shopping in Florida" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/economy/tariffs" target="_self">looming tariffs</a> — forcing them to shop smarter and earlier.Why it matters: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Back-to-school" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/02/back-to-school-2024-cellphone-bans" data-vars-content-id="75606e68-20f4-48ee-8870-862584a1aa65" data-vars-headline="What tariffs mean for back-to-school shopping in Florida" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/02/back-to-school-2024-cellphone-bans" target="_self">Back-to-school</a> is the second-biggest retail event of the year, after the holidays.

Money

Data: U.S. Department of Education. Table: Axios Visuals

Floridians owe about $105 billion in federal student loans as payments resume in October.

Why it matters: The three-year pause on student loan payments gave borrowers a reprieve during the pandemic. Now, experts warn the return to debt repayment could get messy, Axios' Kelly Tyko writes.

By the numbers: Florida's share of outstanding student loan debt is the third-largest in the nation, trailing only California and Texas, according to the latest U.S. Department of Education data. 

The state is home to more than 2.7 million federal student loan borrowers. They owe nearly $38,931 on average, slightly above the national average of $37,300, per the Education Data Initiative.

As of June, people ages 35 to 49 make up the largest group of Florida residents with federal student loan debt, owing a total of about $43 billion.

Catch up fast: In July, President Biden announced that some borrowers who have been paying for decades, including 56,930 in Florida, would have their debt forgiven.

Earlier in October, Biden added $9 billion of student loan forgiveness through "fixes" to debt relief programs, helping 125,000 borrowers across the country. 

Be smart: Most people will need to opt in to auto-debit payments before payment restarts.

Use this Axios explainer to figure out your student loan status.

Borrowers can also calculate their repayment with Federal Student Aid's loan simulator.

Between the lines: There's a 12-month "on ramp" for loan repayments, meaning borrowers who miss payments won't be reported to credit bureaus, placed in default, or referred to debt collection agencies.

The on-ramp transition period started on Oct. 1 and runs to Sept. 30 of next year. Borrowers don't have to sign up, according to a White House fact sheet.

Plus: Borrowers can sign up for a new income-driven repayment plan, the SAVE plan, which the White House estimates will save the typical borrower about $1,000 per year.

Student loan payments resume for 2.7 million Floridians

Florida's share of outstanding student loan debt is the third-largest in the nation.

Student debt

Floridians owe about $105 billion in federal student loans as payments resume in October.Why it matters: The three-year pause on student loan payments gave borrowers a reprieve during the pandemic. Now, experts warn the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="return to debt repayment" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/10/01/student-loan-payments-october-2023" data-vars-content-id="f5cf47c4-bcfe-4e50-9d7e-4d63236ea2fc" data-vars-headline="Student loan payments resume for 2.7 million Floridians" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/10/01/student-loan-payments-october-2023" target="_self">return to debt repayment</a> could get messy, Axios&#x27; Kelly Tyko writes.

Kelly Tyko

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