Florida Releases March 2011 Employment Figures
Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in March 2011 is 11.1 percent, the lowest since November 2009 when the rate was also 11.1 percent.
This represents 1,030,000 jobless out of a labor force of 9,251,000.
The state’s rate is down 0.4 percentage point from the February 2011 rate of 11.5 percent and is 0.2 percentage point lower than the March 2010 rate of 11.3 percent. This is the first over-the-year decline in Florida’s unemployment rate since November 2006.
Florida’s total nonagricultural employment in March 2011 is 7,205,300, an increase of 22,600 jobs (+0.3 percent) from February 2011.
The number of jobs in the state is up 51,500 over the year, an increase of 0.7 percent from March 2010.
It is the strongest over-the-year growth rate in the state since May 2007 when it was also 0.7 percent.
“The continued decline in the unemployment rate paired with very positive job growth provides a strong signal that Florida’s economy has turned the corner,” said Agency for Workforce Innovation Director Cynthia R. Lorenzo. “While there are still too many Floridians out of work, our economy is clearly heading in the right direction with Governor Scott’s emphasis on job creation and economic development.”
Online Ads Increase
Florida job postings compiled by the Help Wanted OnLine data series from The Conference Board increased in March 2011, after being unchanged in February.
Job postings in Florida totaled 245,858 (seasonally adjusted) openings in March 2011, up by more than 10,000 openings from the 235,211 postings in February 2011.
Florida had an over-the-year increase of 34,326 job postings compared to March 2010.
Since the official end of the recession in June 2009, online job demand in Florida has increased by 87,014 jobs.
Major occupational groups with the most online ads in March were healthcare practitioners and technical occupations, sales and related occupations, office and administrative support occupations and management occupations.
United States and Florida Unemployment Rates (seasonally adjusted)
Florida’s Nonagricultural Employment by Industry (Seasonally Adjusted)
- The number of jobs in Florida is 7,205,300 in March 2011, up 51,500 jobs compared to a year ago. March is the sixth consecutive month with positive annual job growth since the state started losing jobs in July 2007. The industry gaining the most jobs is leisure and hospitality (+35,300 jobs, +3.9 percent).
- Other industries gaining jobs include private education and health services (+20,100 jobs, +1.9 percent); professional and business services (+12,900 jobs, +1.3 percent); trade, transportation, and utilities (+4,600 jobs, +0.3 percent); and other services (+3,600 jobs, +1.2 percent).
- These industry job gains are partially due to increases in food services and drinking places; ambulatory health care services; management, scientific and technical; food and beverage stores; and personal and laundry services.
- Industries losing jobs over the year include: construction (-14,700 jobs, -4.2 percent); information (-4,200 jobs, -3.1 percent); financial activities (-4,200 jobs, -0.9 percent); manufacturing (-1,300 jobs, -0.4 percent); and total government (-900 jobs, -0.1 percent).
- These industry job losses are partially due to weakness in construction of buildings; telecommunications; credit intermediation and related activities; miscellaneous durable goods manufacturing; and federal government. Local Area Unemployment Statistics (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
- In March 2011, Monroe County has the state’s lowest unemployment rate (6.6 percent), followed by Liberty County (6.8 percent); Alachua County (7.4 percent); Okaloosa and Walton counties (7.5 percent each); and Lafayette and Leon counties (7.6 percent each). Most of the counties with the lowest unemployment rates are those with relatively high proportions of government employment.
- Flagler County has the highest unemployment rate (14.5 percent) in Florida in March 2011, followed by Hernando County (13.3 percent); Hendry County (13.1 percent); Marion and St Lucie counties (12.5 percent each); and Miami-Dade County (12.3 percent). Flagler County, as well as most of the other areas with the highest unemployment rates, continues to suffer long-term job losses, mainly in construction. There are 38 Florida counties with double-digit unemployment rates in March, down from 43 in February.
Area Nonagricultural Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
- Eleven metro areas of the 22 in the state have over-the-year job gains in March 2011. The areas with the largest gains are Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford (+20,400 jobs, +2.0 percent), Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall (+11,900 jobs, +1.2 percent), and West Palm Beach-Boca Raton-Boynton Beach (+4,200 jobs, +0.8 percent).
- Of the metro areas with job declines, the areas with the largest losses are Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville (-3,800 jobs, -1.9 percent) and Cape Coral-Ft. Myers (-3,000 jobs, -1.5 percent).
Topics: 2011, Agency for Workforce Innovation, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, business, construction, consumer confidence, Cynthia R. Lorenzo, economic development, economic growth, economic recovery, Economy, employment, employment report, Florida, Governance, government, government employment, Governor Rick Scott, jobs, labor force, manufacturing, March, monitor, news, Non Farm Payrolls, online ads, retail trade, seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, U.S., United States, veterans
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