TALHASSEE – Florida’s unemployment rate remained at 3.7% in June, but private sector employment has fallen 21,000 from May, according to a State Department report released Friday.
The state was estimated to be eligible for unemployed people in June, up 1,000 from May. Meanwhile, the 11.93 million workforce was reduced by 7,000 at the same time. The unemployment rate was 3.7% in April and May.
The lowest unemployment rate in June remained in the Miami Fort Lauderdale West Palm Beach Statistics area, from 3.1% in May. Within the area, the Miami, Miami Beach and Kendall region was 2.4%.
Jimmy Heckman, chief of the Department of Commerce’s Labor Force Statistics and Economic Survey, said it was “too early to tell you,” the reason for Florida’s first decline in employment since October, when it was a back-to-back hit with Hurricane Helen and Hurricane Milton.
“It’s important to note that this is just one month after the very strong Job Report this few months ago,” Heckman told reporters during a conference call. “And for most sectors that lost their jobs this month, it was the first month that we saw these sectors lose jobs for quite some time.”
Heckman said Florida has “really strong” statistics for creating and hiring businesses.
“We need to wait for what trends will occur as long as private sector industries continue throughout the year,” Heckman said.
Economists have warned for months that federal economic policies are creating new costs and disruptions in the global supply chain.
This month, state economists said that tax revenues in May were largely due to those who purchase goods in anticipation of the tariffs that were at the heart of President Donald Trump’s policies.
The state’s June unemployment rate rose from 3.4% the previous year. The national unemployment rate in June was 4.1%, down from 4.2% in May. The national rate in June 2024 was 4.1%.
Private sector employment in Florida has increased by 128,100 last month from June 2024, even though it was a decline last month.
As an example in June, the broad categories of leisure and hospitality fell by 8,100 jobs since May, while the business and professional services category fell by 6,100 and construction fell by 1,600.
Statewide, the percentage in June was 3.7% in the Crest Beau Fort Walt Walton Beach-Destin area and 3.8% in the Orlando Kissimmee Sanford area.
Panama City Panama City Beach and Tampacent Petersburg-Clearwater area were 4%. The Napoli Marco Island area was 4.1%. Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Palm Bay Melbourne-Titasville area was 4.2%.
The pass-brent area for Northport Bradenton Sarasota and Pensacola Ferry was 4.3%.
Cape Coral Fort Myers was 4.4%. The Port St. Lucie area was 4.5%, while the Deltona-Daytona Beach Ormond Beach and Gainesville area was 4.6%.
The highest rate in the state was 6.9% in the metropolitan statistical area, including villages and Wildwood. It was 6% in May.
The Homo Sassa Springs area was 5.8% in June, the Sebring area was 5.6%, and the Punta Gorda area was 5%. The Okara, Lakeland Winter Haven, Sebastian-Vero Beach area was 4.9%.
Statewide rates are seasonally adjusted, but metrorates are not adjusted.
Original issue: July 18, 2025, 1:11pm EDT
