The Great Recession was not kind to Flagler County as the county still hovers around the top in the state for unemployment.

But are things about to turn around for the area which was once the fastest growing county in the United States a decade ago?

The giant distribution center for Trader Joe's is taking shape along I-95 in Volusia County, which is about 20 miles from Flagler.

When hiring begins, many people from Flagler will likely apply and — if hired — make the commute for work.

The same can be said for any number of the projects planned in Volusia County — from Daytona Rising going on now at Daytona International Speedway to the One Daytona entertainment project planned to go up across the street from the speedway.

Lou Paris, with CareerSource Flagler Volusia, said when huge projects begin in one county, many smaller projects often follow.

"There's plenty of peripheral businesses and industries that will benefit from this," Paris said. "Any many of them are located in Flagler, as well."

That, of course, can't come soon enough for people looking for work in Flagler County, where the unemployment rate is just under 8 percent.

A few years ago, the jobless rate was at 17 percent, so things are improving.

Further job growth is expected, and that's because boundary lines and turf wars are slowly disappearing.

"I expect to see more cooperation even within the same county," Paris said. "You know, because sometimes counties see themselves as north, south, east, west."

Paris is quick to point out there are jobs in Flagler County: "Some of the folks who are unemployed at the moment don't recognize that their skills apply for a new career, a new type of job," he said.