Governor Rick Scott announced today that the Jacksonville area added 22,200 new private-sector jobs over the year in July. The area’s unemployment rate was 4.9 percent in July, a decline of 0.8 percentage point in the last year.
Florida businesses created 26,500 private-sector jobs across the state during July 2016, bringing the total number of jobs created since December 2010 to 1,160,700 jobs.
Governor Scott said, “It’s great news that Jacksonville businesses are continuing to grow, with more than 22,000 new jobs over the year. Every job created makes a difference in someone’s life and that’s why we will continue to cut taxes and encourage businesses to grow in Jacksonville.”
The industries with the largest job growth over the year in the Jacksonville area were trade, transportation and utilities with 4,600 new jobs; education and health services with 4,300 new jobs; leisure and hospitality with 4,300 new jobs; and construction with 4,000 new jobs. In July, the Jacksonville area rounded out the top five metro areas in job demand, with 19,172 openings, including 5,558 job openings in high-skill, high-wage STEM occupations.
The state’s unemployment rate remained at 4.7 percent in July, the lowest rate since November 2007. Florida’s annual job growth rate of 3.3 percent is also exceeding the nation’s rate of 1.9 percent, for the 52nd consecutive month. More than 31,340 Floridians were placed in jobs by CareerSource Northeast Florida and the state’s other 24 regional workforce boards.
To view the July 2016 employment data visit www.floridajobs.org/labor-market-information/labor-market-information-press-releases/monthly-press-releases.