FloridaCommerce has announced that the Cape Coral-Fort Myers metro area saw an increase of 2,100 jobs in the education and health services sector over the past year as of June 2025. Similarly, the Naples-Marco Island metro area added 1,100 jobs in the same sector during this period.
In terms of private sector employment, the Cape Coral-Fort Myers area experienced a rise of 2,100 jobs, marking a 0.8% increase. Meanwhile, Naples-Marco Island's private sector employment grew by 800 jobs or 0.5%. The labor force in Cape Coral-Fort Myers increased slightly by 70 jobs, whereas Naples-Marco Island saw a decrease of 1,078 jobs.
Unemployment rates for both areas have risen compared to last year. The unemployment rate in Naples-Marco Island was recorded at 4.1%, up from 3.5% in June 2024. In Cape Coral-Ft. Myers, it stood at 4.4%, an increase from last year's rate of 3.8%.
Statewide data indicates that Florida's total private sector employment rose by 128,100 jobs (1.5%) over the year as of June 2025. CNBC ranked Florida as having the top economy nationwide for three consecutive years and improved its ranking to third place for best states for business.
Governor DeSantis recently allocated $10 million through the Job Growth Grant Fund to five colleges for aerospace industry needs and has invested significantly in workforce education since taking office.
Florida's job growth rate continues to outpace national averages with significant contributions from the education and health services sectors adding approximately 1,300 new positions statewide in June alone.
Resources such as Employ Florida and CareerSource Florida offer support to job seekers including training opportunities while initiatives like Apprentice Florida aim to expand apprenticeship programs across various industries within the state.
For further details on regional employment data or insights into Florida’s labor market trends visit relevant platforms provided by FloridaCommerce online resources.