JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Today, FloridaCommerce announced that the Jacksonville area’s private sector jobs increased by 13,200 jobs (+1.9 percent) over the year in May 2024. The area’s labor force grew by 0.3 percent (+2,157) over the same period. The Jacksonville area unemployment rate was 3.0 percent in May 2024, marking a 0.2 percentage point increase from the May 2023 rate of 2.8 percent.
In May 2024, the education and health services industry sector saw the largest job gains over the year, adding 5,800 jobs since May 2023.
Florida’s private sector job growth rate continues to exceed the national rate, with a 2.2 percent increase (+192,000) compared to the national private sector job growth rate of 1.6 percent. In May 2024, the construction sector led all major industries in job gains, adding 5,500 jobs (+0.8 percent) from the previous month. This was followed by the education and health services sector, which added 2,700 jobs (+0.2 percent).
“Job creators continue to demonstrate great confidence in Florida’s economic ecosystem through their investments,” creating high-skill and high-wage jobs that make Florida more competitive for residents and workers alike.
Florida offers numerous workforce education and development opportunities for job seekers to gain necessary skills for competing in an elevated job market.
The statewide unemployment rate was steady at 3.3 percent in May 2024—unchanged from April—and remained below the national rate of 4 percent by a margin of 0.7 percentage points. Florida’s statewide unemployment rate has been lower than the national average for 43 consecutive months.
Data from May indicates ample job opportunities are available for Floridians seeking employment, with more than 397,000 jobs posted online. Job seekers can utilize resources such as CareerSource Florida for assistance with registering on Employ Florida and searching local job listings.
To view regional reports for May:
– Fort Lauderdale
– Jacksonville
– Miami
– Orlando
– Pensacola
– Southwest Florida
– Tampa
– West Palm Beach
For detailed employment data from May visit: www.floridajobs.org/labor-market-information/labor-market-information-press-releases/monthly-press-releases.
More information on labor market data is available at Florida Insight.
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