FloridaCommerce has released employment data for the West Palm Beach metro area, revealing a notable increase in private sector jobs. Over the past year, 7,100 jobs have been added, marking a 1.1% rise as of December 2024. The leisure and hospitality industry contributed significantly to this growth by adding 4,300 positions.
The area's unemployment rate remained stable at 3.0%, identical to the previous year. However, the labor force experienced a slight decrease of 0.8%, translating to a reduction of 6,494 individuals.
Statewide figures also show positive trends with an increase of 17,900 private sector jobs from the prior month. Florida's recovery from Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton is evident as job numbers continue to climb.
"Under Governor DeSantis’ decisive leadership, Florida continues to make gains for job seekers and job creators," stated Florida Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly. He emphasized the role of policies like E-Verify in supporting tourism-related employment growth while safeguarding against harmful practices.
Since Governor DeSantis enacted SB 1718 in May 2023, leisure and hospitality jobs reached an unprecedented level with a total of 1,340,500 positions statewide—up by 29,500 compared to last year and by 46,600 since May 2023.
For those seeking employment opportunities or training resources in Florida, several initiatives are available:
- Employ Florida connects job seekers with employers.
- CareerSource Florida offers career counseling and placement support.
- Apprentice Florida expands apprenticeship programs.
- Veterans Florida assists military veterans transitioning to civilian careers.
- The Military Family Employment Advocacy Program supports active-duty military families.
Floridians can explore more than 387,000 online job postings through these services provided at no cost.