(The Center Square) – Florida lost more than 20,000 jobs over the last year, according to the latest numbers released this week by the Florida Department of Commerce.
Of the ten major industries included in the report, eight lost jobs in January, the most recent month available for analysis. Professional and business services lost 15,9000 jobs, government lost 11,600 jobs, financial activities lost 9,200 jobs, construction lost 8,800 jobs, utilities lost 6,200 jobs, leisure and hospitality lost 4,800 jobs, information lost 2,800 jobs, and other services lost 7,900 jobs.Over the year, the private sector lost 9,000 jobs, according to the report.“It’s concerning to see Florida losing so many private-sector jobs in today’s report,” said U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla. “Florida must stay focused on creating an environment where our state remains the best place in the country to live, work, and raise a family, and that starts with creating more jobs.”Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rose above the national average, reaching 4.5% at the beginning of the year. That’s up by 0.2% from December and up 1% from a year ago. Meanwhile, the U.S. seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.3%. The U.S. also saw its job count grow by 0.2% over the last year, while Florida lost 20,600 jobs.“A good-paying job is life-changing, which is why I’m concerned about this report. Florida shouldn’t be losing so many jobs, and we shouldn’t be surpassing the national unemployment average for the first time in years,” said Scott.There were just under 500,000 Floridians without jobs in January. The only industries to gain jobs last year were education and health services, which saw 2.9% growth, gaining 45,700 jobs, and manufacturing, which added 800 jobs.The areas in the state with the lowest unemployment were Miami-Dade County with a 2.6% unemployment rate, followed by Monroe County at 3.6%, and Walkulla County at 4.6%.Taylor County had the worst unemployment rate at 10.3%, followed by Sumter County at 9% and Citrus County 7.5%.Overall, thirteen metro areas in Florida lost jobs over the year. The areas hit hardest by job loss were Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding area with 9,900 jobs lost. The Miami Beach area lost 5,700 jobs and the areas of West Palm Beach, Boca Raton and Delray Beach lost 5,300 jobs.However, 11 of Florida’s 25 metro areas saw job gains in January, including Orlando, North Port, Bradenton, Sarasota, Lakeland, and Winter Haven.
