12 from region on Forbes best employers lists, including No. 1 spot

For the past 10 years, Forbes has been ranking America’s best large and midsize employers, and this year a dozen organizations in the region made the list — including one that secured a top spot. Shriners Hospitals for Children, based in Tampa, ranked No. 1 among the best midsize employers, climbing from No. 12 in last year’s rankings, according to the publication.

One area employer — Lakeland-based Publix — has been on Forbes' Best Large Employers list every year since the publication began the tradition a decade ago. It was among 77 employers recognized for being among America’s Best Employers all 10 years the list has been in existence, joining companies like Coca-Cola, Ford Motor, Google, Meta, State Farm and Walt Disney.

To compile the 2025 rankings, Forbes partnered with market research firm Statista to survey 217,000 employees, who were asked to rate their employers across criteria like salary, work environment, training and advancement opportunities, as well as whether they would recommend working there. New survey data was analyzed along with responses from the last three years, with recent information weighted more heavily, to determine the rankings.