Downtown Fort Lauderdale is the City and County seat of government and has become a hub for technology, banking, real estate development and creative services that fuel the economic impact of the Greater Fort Lauderdale area. 40% of citywide knowledge sector jobs are based downtown, ranking DowntownFTL in a favorable position compared to peer cities across the southeastern United States like Atlanta and Austin. By the end of 2021, DowntownFTL gained back the number of jobs lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This rapid jobs recovery was powered by an increase of about 2,000 professional services jobs since 2019. The urban core is home to 49% of all citywide professional services jobs and 72% of all legal employment in Fort Lauderdale.