It's one of southwest Florida's fastest-growing industries, and a field where the greatest demand for workers is projected.

The field is the financial industry, our focus this month as we explore how bankers are trying to attract a massive number of small-business clients and what strategies brokerage and wealth management firms are using to woo well-heeled investors.

New data compiled by the Southwest Florida Workforce Development Board reaffirms what the plethora of new bank branches as well as new players in the asset management arena have shown us: Staffing for the region's finance industry is expected to grow by 6.5 percent, according to projections. The industry is second only to construction, which has a projected growth rate of 7.7 percent.

More findings about the finance industry and the region's other industries are available at www.usworks.com/southwestflorida-a site worth bookmarking. The workforce development board recently contacted more than 6,300 employers with 10 or more employees in Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee counties-the largest employer survey that has ever concentrated solely on Southwest Florida-asking for firsthand data on everything from how long it takes to hire employees to how much companies pay them.

Nearly 35 percent of the employers responded to the first survey. The board plans to occasionally get updated information from employers and add it to the Web site. "This is as close to real-time data as we can get," says Jim Wall, a program manager with the board.

The Web site allows everyone from employers to job seekers to view data by industry, region and employer size. For employers, it's important to have up-to-the-minute labor market information, especially as our region experiences explosive growth.

Among other things, the data can help you compare whether your wages and benefits are in line with other companies in your industry, and help identify local growth trends relating to your industry. "It helps them be competitive in the market," says Joseph Paterno, executive director of the workforce development board.

Meanwhile, population data from the U.S. Census and other forecasting groups continues to prepare business owners for increases in the number of folks choosing to live in our region, particularly in Cape Coral, which saw its population jump by 5.9 percent in 2002.

As a result, our first regional report, a new, occasional section focusing on a Southwest Florida community and its business environment, spotlights that growing city.

In our 20-page report, we look at the issues the Cape is facing as well as the business and city leaders who are investing time, money and effort in the community.

Get ready: We may soon be taking an in-depth look at the part of the region that you call home.