ORLANDO, Fla. — Florida is continuing to see month-over-month job gains, inching closer to pre-pandemic job levels.
What You Need To Know
- The state’s unemployment rate continues to dip
- Florida’s total statewide labor force now tops 10.6 million people
- RELATED: Walking away: Why millions of workers are leaving their jobs
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity announced Friday the state’s November Unemployment Rate dipped to 4.5%, slightly lower than October’s rate of 4.6%.
The November unemployment rate nationally is 4.2%.
Statewide, Florida saw 50,000 new jobs created last month, with 7,000 fewer people on unemployment.
Florida’s total statewide labor force now tops 10.6 million people.
“In total, Florida has gained 1,162,700 sector jobs since April 2020, which represents 93.5% of jobs lost during the pandemic that have been recovered,” FL DEO stated.
Adrienne Johnston, the chief economist at the state’s DEO, said Friday Florida expects to reach peak employment levels very soon.
Johnston noted that some industries in Florida have surpassed peak employment levels seen pre-pandemic.
The majority of industries in Florida grew in November, including Construction, Leisure and Hospitality, and Manufacturing.
Also on the upswing are Floridians quitting their jobs to pursue other opportunities.
DEO data shows for the eighth consecutive month unemployment grew among those seeking other opportunities. Also up is the rate of people gaining jobs that are new or re-entering the labor market.
According to Florida’s DEO, there were 730,000 job openings in Florida, but a labor force of 483,000 unemployed individuals.
Johnston said the two numbers are not a 1:1 comparison, as there are a variety of reasons why someone may be unemployed, and some skills among workers may not line up with openings.
Florida's job market
The Orlando region gained the highest number of private-sector jobs in November, according to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.
Orlando added 87,200 new jobs, with a regional unemployment rate of 3.9% for November 2021. That is down from 5.7% in November 2020.
The Tampa region gained the second-highest number of private-sector jobs statewide, adding 73,700 new jobs, according to the state’s DEO. The Tampa region’s November unemployment rate stands at 3.4% compared to 4.2% in November 2020.