FloridaCommerce has reported a rise in private sector employment in the West Palm Beach metro area, with an increase of 7,800 jobs over the past year as of November 2024. The education and health services industry contributed significantly to this growth, adding 4,100 jobs.
The unemployment rate in the West Palm Beach area was recorded at 3.6% for November 2024, which is a slight increase from the previous year's rate of 3.1%. Additionally, the labor force in this region saw a decrease of 1.2%, equivalent to a reduction of approximately 9,685 individuals.
Statewide, Florida experienced an addition of 60,100 private sector jobs during November 2024. This development comes as part of the state's recovery from Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton. Florida's unemployment rate has remained below the national average for nearly four years.
In response to these natural disasters, Florida's job market showed resilience by surpassing pre-hurricane employment levels by more than 25,000 jobs as compared to September 2024 figures. Over recent months leading up to November, there has been an average monthly increase of around 8,733 private sector jobs across the state.
"Under Governor DeSantis’ decisive leadership, Florida’s quick bounce-back is evidence of Florida’s commitment to recovery," stated J. Alex Kelly, Florida Secretary of Commerce. He emphasized efforts such as reopening infrastructure and restoring utilities quickly after hurricanes hit.
November also witnessed significant gains in leisure and hospitality employment statewide with an addition of 30,500 jobs—recovering losses incurred in October. The state's unemployment rate was slightly higher at 3.4% compared to October but remained lower than the national average by nearly one percentage point.
Since August 2024, more than $88 million has been allocated through the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program to support over two thousand businesses affected by recent hurricanes.
Job seekers can access various resources provided by programs like Employ Florida and CareerSource Florida for career guidance and training opportunities. Veterans are supported through initiatives aimed at integrating them into civilian employment matching their military skills.
Floridians seeking work have access to numerous job listings online with over 399,000 positions available across different sectors as per November data reports accessible via platforms like CareerSource Florida network.