TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity announced the Fort Myers area private-sector employment decreased by 33,000 jobs (-14.0 percent) over the year. The Fort Myers area’s unemployment rate was 14.6 percent in April, up 11.7 percentage points from one year ago. The Naples area private-sector employment decreased by 20,100 (-14.0 percent) over the year. The Naples area’s unemployment rate was 13.4 percent in April, up 10.7 percentage points from one year ago.

The industry losing the most jobs over the year in the Fort Myers area was leisure and hospitality (-22,900 jobs).   The industry losing the most jobs over the year in the Naples area was leisure and hospitality (-13,700 jobs).  Construction and government were the only major industries to gain jobs over the year in the Naples area  (+400 jobs each).

 
Statewide, Florida businesses lost 989,600 private-sector jobs over the year.  In April 2020, the number of jobs decreased by 1,035,500, down 13.2 percent from March 2020. Florida’s unemployment rate increased to 12.9 percent in April 2020.  Florida’s labor force was down 893,000 over the month and down 824,000 over the year.

To view the April 2020 employment data, visit www.floridajobs.org/labor-market-information/labor-market-information-press-releases/monthly-press-releases.

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