Florida unemployment rate steady at 3.3 percent, Miami leads job growth

by | Sep 20, 2024



Florida’s unemployment held at 3.3 percent in August, with slight rises in metro regions across the state.


Florida’s unemployment rate remained at 3.3 percent in August, according to data released on Friday by FloridaCommerce, outpacing the national average of 4.2 percent. The figure marks the 46th consecutive month that the state has maintained a lower unemployment rate than the U.S .

Employment trends across the state’s metro areas varied. The Fort Lauderdale metro area led in job growth over the year in several sectors, including government, other services, and trade, transportation, and utilities, with gains of 4,500, 4,400, and 4,300 jobs, respectively. Overall, private sector employment in Fort Lauderdale increased by 2.5 percent year-over-year, adding 20,200 jobs and bringing the total to 823,000. Despite this growth, the area’s unemployment rate rose slightly to 3.5 percent, up from 3.3 percent in August 2023.

In the Jacksonville metro area, private sector employment saw a 1.5 percent increase, adding 10,600 jobs over the past year, with growth in the education and health services sector, which contributed 3,700 new positions. The region’s unemployment rate rose to 3.7 percent, up from 3.4 percent the previous year, while the labor force contracted by 0.9 percent.

Miami experienced the strongest private sector job growth among the major metro areas, with a 2.9 percent increase, adding 33,300 jobs. The largest gains were in education and health services, leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, and construction. Miami’s labor force expanded by 1.9 percent, though its unemployment rate rose to 3.1 percent in August, up from 2.0 percent a year prior.

Statewide, the leisure and hospitality sector led job growth in August, adding 7,300 positions, followed by the education and health services sector, which grew by 3,900 jobs. Over the past year, Florida’s labor force expanded by 7,000, while total employment declined by 34,000.

Florida’s private sector job growth rate reached 2.1 percent in August, surpassing the national average of 1.4 percent. Over the past year, employers in the state have added jobs in 50 of the last 52 months.

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