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Press Release
Florida Unemployment Rate Drops to 4 Percent in August
That is the lowest unemployment rate in more than a decade.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, Governor Rick Scott announced that more than 22,000 private-sector jobs were created in August, while the state’s unemployment rate dropped again to 4.0 percent, the lowest in more than a decade. August’s job creation brings the total number of new jobs added since December 2010 to 1,441,000. Florida’s annual job growth rate of 2.9 percent exceeds the nation’s rate of 1.7 percent, continuing the 65-month trend of our state’s rate being higher than the nation’s.
As of August, Florida’s unemployment rate had dropped 6.7 percentage points since December 2010, faster than the national decline. In the last year, 250,000 people entered Florida’s labor force, a growth of 2.5 percent. This rate is more than three times the national labor force growth rate of only 0.7 percent.
Other positive economic indicators include:
- Private-sector industries gaining the most jobs over-the-year were:
- Professional and business services with 42,600 new jobs;
- Construction with 35,000 new jobs;
- Trade, transportation and utilities with 32,300 new jobs;
- Education and health services with 30,500 new jobs; and
- Leisure and hospitality with 27,900 new jobs.
- Florida job postings showed 231,977 openings in August 2017.
- In August, Florida’s 24 regional workforce boards reported 23,936 Floridians, including 1,417 veterans, were placed in jobs.
To view the August 2017 employment data, click here.
