TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity announced the statewide number of private sector jobs increased by 19,200 over the month. Florida’s unemployment rate was 4.7 percent in February 2021, down from the January rate of 4.8 percent. Florida’s labor force was up 55,000, a growth of 0.5 percentage point over the month.

The unemployment rate in the Orlando area was 6.5 percent in February, down from 22.6 percent reported in May 2020, the highest rate during the pandemic. The Orlando area private sector employment decreased by 164,800 jobs over the year, a decline of 13.6 percent. The industry losing the least amount of jobs over the year was the information sector, decreasing by 1,200 jobs. The information sector includes the following trades: publishing, telecommunications, and data processing. The industry losing the most jobs over the year was leisure and hospitality, decreasing by 102,100 jobs.   

To view the February 2021 employment data, visit www.floridajobs.org/labor-market-information/labor-market-information-press-releases/monthly-press-releases.  

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