Florida businesses create 12,800 private-sector jobs in September


TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Governor Rick Scott today announced that Florida’s statewide unemployment rate in September was 6.1 percent, down 0.2 percentage point from last month and down 0.8 percentage point from the September 2013 rate of 6.9 percent. Florida created 12,800 private-sector jobs in September 2014. Since December 2010, Florida’s private-sector businesses have added 651,300 jobs for Florida families. Florida’s annual job growth rate has exceeded the nation’s rate since April 2012.

Governor Rick Scott said, “Today’s announcement that Florida businesses have created nearly 13,000 private-sector jobs is great news for Florida families. Together since December 2010, Florida job creators have created 651,300 private-sector jobs. Florida’s unemployment rate has also dropped to 6.1 percent, the lowest it has been since June 2008. Our policies are working in Florida, and more-and-more Floridians are able to get a job and support their family, and we will keep working until every Floridian who wants a job can get one.”

Since December 2010, Florida’s unemployment rate has dropped 5.0 percentage points, from 11.1 percent down now to 6.1 percent in September 2014. Florida’s unemployment rate has declined or held steady over the month for 46 of the last 49 months.

Department of Economic Opportunity Executive Director Jesse Panuccio said, “The 12,800 new private-sector jobs, the 261,000 online jobs ads, and the decreasing unemployment rate are all indicators that Florida is continuing to grow its opportunity economy. Florida offers the perfect climate for families and business to plan for their future.”

Florida’s labor force increased over the month and over the year in September. On an annual basis, Florida’s labor force has increased for 55 consecutive months. This economic indicator can be a sign of optimism as more people are entering the labor force with confidence in their prospects for finding employment. The labor force is defined as the sum of employment plus unemployment (those with a job and those without a job but actively seeking work).

The long-term positive trends in the unemployment rate and job counts are among the most important economic indicators to consider when analyzing the health of Florida’s economic recovery. The state’s private-sector job counts have been steadily on the rise for over four years, showing that Florida’s businesses are responding to the state’s improving economic climate. Since December 2010, the state has added 651,300 private-sector jobs.

More Floridians Getting Back to Work

• Florida’s annual job growth rate has exceeded that of the nation since April 2012.
• Florida’s private sector job growth month-to-month has been positive for 43 of the last 46 months.
• Florida has created 651,300 new private sector jobs since December 2010.
• Florida job postings compiled by the Help Wanted OnLine data series from The Conference Board showed 261,678 openings in September 2014.

Home Sales Robust

• Home sales remain robust as the backlog of existing homes on the market is down by 33.7 percent from December 2011 (Florida Realtors).
• Florida median home prices were up 2.9 percent over the year in August 2014.

Workforce Boards Assisting in Employment

• In September, Florida’s 24 Regional Workforce Boards reported more than 43,800 Floridians were placed in jobs. An individual who receives employment and training assistance through a CareerSource Center and finds a job within 180 days is deemed a placement and may be reported by a regional workforce board. Of these individuals, 9,392 previously received Reemployment Assistance. 
• In 2013, more than 479,000 Floridians were placed in jobs, with 135,384 former claimants finding employment.

To view the September 2014 employment data visit www.floridajobs.org/labor-market-information/labor-market-information-press-releases/monthly-press-releases.

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