Highest one-month total for job creation in a decade

PONTE VEDRA, Fla. — Governor Rick Scott announced today that Florida businesses created 36,600 private-sector jobs across the state in October, the highest one-month total for jobs added in ten years. Since December 2010, 978,800 private-sector jobs have been created in Florida. The statewide unemployment rate is also down to 5.1 percent in October 2015, the lowest in seven years. 

Governor Rick Scott said, “Today we are proud to announce that October was the highest month for job growth in ten years, with 36,600 private-sector jobs created in Florida.  We look forward to cutting $1 billion in taxes so we can diversify our economy to make Florida first for job growth.”

Florida’s annual private-sector job growth rate, now at 3.6 percent, has exceeded that of the nation since April 2012. For October 2015, Florida’s unemployment rate was 5.1 percent, the lowest since January 2008. This is also down 0.7 percentage point from the October 2014 rate, and down by 0.1 percentage point from the September 2015 rate of 5.2 percent. Florida’s unemployment rate has declined by 5.6 percentage points since December 2010.

Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Executive Director Jesse Panuccio said, “October was a very strong month for Florida’s economy. We had our best month for job growth in ten years, and the unemployment rate fell again. We are seeing the results of pro-growth policy—tax cuts, a strong business recruitment program, and investments in education and infrastructure.  If we keep those priorities, our economy will maintain this growth.”

Other positive economic indicators include:

• Florida’s private-sector job growth month-to-month has been positive for 48 consecutive months. 
• Private-sector industries gaining the most jobs over the month in October were professional and business services with 20,900 new jobs; trade, transportation, and utilities with 7,300 new jobs; and education and health services with 5,100 new jobs.
• Florida job postings showed 280,258 openings in October 2015.
• Statewide, closed sales for single-family homes in September rose 13.4 percent over-the-year.

• In October, Florida’s 24 regional workforce boards reported more than 34,874 Floridians, including 1,727 veterans, were placed in jobs. 

To view the October 2015 employment data visit www.floridajobs.org/labor-market-information/labor-market-information-press-releases/monthly-press-releases.

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