09/20/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/20/2024 09:14
FloridaCommerce Announces Jacksonville Metro Area Total Private Sector Employment Increases by 1.5% Over the Year in August 2024
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Today, FloridaCommerce announced the Jacksonville area's total private sector employment increased by 1.5% (+10,600 jobs) over the year in August 2024. The Jacksonville area unemployment rate was 3.7% in August 2024, a 0.3 percentage point increase from the August 2023 rate of 3.4%.
The Jacksonville metro area's labor force was 848,145, down 0.9 of a percentage point over the year in August 2024. In August 2024 the education and health services industry sector gained the most jobs over the year, gaining 3,700 jobs since August 2023.
Florida's private sector job growth continues to surpass the national average, with a growth rate of 2.1% over the year since August 2023, compared to the national rate of 1.4% over the same time period. This success is attributed to Florida's strategic investments in workforce education and development, driving high-demand, high-wage jobs that benefit both job seekers and employers.
Florida's statewide unemployment rate is 3.3%, nearly one percentage point lower than the national rate of 4.2% and has been lower than the national rate for 46 consecutive months. Florida employers have added jobs in 50 of the last 52 months, and Florida's over-the-year private sector job growth rate has exceeded the national rate for 41 consecutive months.
In August 2024 the leisure and hospitality sector gained the most jobs among all major industries, adding 7,300 jobs (+0.6%) from the previous month. This was followed by education and health services, which added 3,900 jobs (+0.3%). Florida's labor force grew by 7,000 (+0.1%) over the year since August 2023.
Governor Ron DeSantis has proclaimed September as Workforce Development Month Development Month. Since 2019, Florida has invested more than $8.5 billion in workforce education.
These investments include:
Florida's support of Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs have led to:
Florida continues to rank:
Job creators continue to demonstrate great confidence in Florida through their investments, creating high-skill, high-wage jobs. Florida offers hundreds of workforce education and workforce development opportunities for job seekers to gain the skills they need to compete in such an elevated and more competitive job market, ensuring economic resiliency and success for generations of Floridians to come.
Resources for Job Seekers:
Data in the month of July continues to indicate there are jobs available for every Floridian who wants to work, with more than 405,000 jobs posted online. Floridians in search of work and new job opportunities can utilize the CareerSource Florida network for help. Floridians can find guidance on how to register with Employ Florida and search listings of available local job openings. Career seekers also can improve their employability by perfecting resume writing and interviewing skills, establishing career goals, and pursuing customized career training. These services are provided at no cost to job seekers.
To view the August 2024 jobs reports by region, please see below:
To view August 2024 employment data, visit: www.floridajobs.org/labor-market-information/labor-market-information-press-releases/monthly-press-releases.
Visit Florida Insight for more information on labor market and economic data. Additionally, the Department has provided a video to assist users in explaining the data provided through Florida Insight.
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