The Jacksonville metropolitan area led all metro areas in Florida in job gains within the education and health services sector for July 2025, according to data released by FloridaCommerce. The sector added 8,800 jobs over the year. Overall private sector employment in Jacksonville increased by 8,500 jobs, or 1.2%, compared to July of last year.
The labor force in the Jacksonville area grew by 2,885 people, a rise of 0.3% over the year. The unemployment rate for the region was reported at 4.2% for July 2025, which is an increase from the previous year’s rate of 3.9%.
Statewide, Florida added 7,300 jobs during July and saw its total private sector employment grow by 118,900 jobs (1.4%) over the past year. Florida’s private sector job growth rate has surpassed the national average in 50 out of the last 52 months since April 2021.
Industries with notable job increases across Florida included financial activities (adding 5,200 jobs), leisure and hospitality (adding 1,600 jobs), and government (also adding 1,600 jobs). Since May 2020, employers in Florida have added jobs in all but four months out of a total of sixty-three.
Florida’s statewide unemployment rate stood at 3.7% for July and has remained below the national average for fifty-seven consecutive months since November 2020.
Resources are available to support job seekers through platforms such as Employ Florida—which connects individuals with employment opportunities—and CareerSource Florida’s network that provides career counseling and placement assistance at no cost to users. Programs like Apprentice Florida aim to expand apprenticeship opportunities statewide through partnerships between state agencies.
Veterans transitioning to civilian life can access help through Veterans Florida and other initiatives focused on military families—including license reciprocity resources for spouses relocating to Florida and specialized workforce services provided at local career centers.
More than 408,000 positions were posted online as available across Florida during July. Job seekers are encouraged to use CareerSource Florida’s services for resume writing assistance, interview preparation, goal setting, and training options.
Regional reports on employment data are available for various metropolitan areas including Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Orlando, Pensacola, Southwest Florida, Tampa, West Palm Beach—as well as Jacksonville itself—through official channels provided by FloridaCommerce. Additional information on labor market trends can be accessed via Florida Insight, where explanatory videos about economic data are also offered.
“Data in the month of July continues to indicate there are jobs available for every Floridian who wants to work,” according to materials provided by FloridaCommerce.
