Storm impacts drive job losses in key sectors, but year-over-year growth and low statewide unemployment highlight resilience

Florida’s private-sector employment took a hit in October as the state faced the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. However, the unemployment rate remained steady at 3.3% for the seventh consecutive month, according to data released Friday by the Florida Department of Commerce.

The hurricanes played a significant role in the job market disruption. Helene struck Taylor County in late September, and Milton made landfall in Sarasota County on October 9. These events contributed to a loss of 38,200 private-sector jobs, with the data reflecting employment estimates collected during the week of Milton’s landfall.

Despite the monthly drop, Florida’s private sector has added 107,600 jobs over the past year, a growth rate of 1.2%, just slightly below the national average of 1.3%. Education and health services were among the few bright spots in October, adding 3,400 jobs. However, major losses occurred in leisure and hospitality (-18,500 jobs), construction (-5,400 jobs), and manufacturing (-1,100 jobs).

The state’s labor force also continued to shrink, with 9,000 fewer participants in October and a year-long decline of 31,000, which state economists attribute to Baby Boomer and Gen Xer retirements. While 369,000 Floridians were unemployed in October, a small increase of 1,000 from the previous month, the state’s unemployment rate stayed below the national rate of 4.1%.

Unemployment rates varied across the state’s metro areas. The Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach region had the best rate at 2.9%, while Homosassa Springs posted the state’s worst at 5.6%. Areas hit hardest by storms, such as North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, saw unemployment rise from 3.7% in September to 3.9% in October.