TALHASSEE – Florida’s unemployment rate was checked for the second consecutive month in February, but state officials said it was “too early” to increase to ongoing federal job cuts.
The Florida Department of Commerce said Friday that unemployment rate rose from 3.5% in January to 3.6% in February. Florida had an unemployment rate of 3.4% in December.
The metropolitan statistical area of Palm Beach Beach in Miami-Fort Lauderdale West had the lowest unemployment rate in the state in February at 3.2%.
Among other regions, the Orlando-Kimmee Sanford and Crestbeau Fort Fort Walton Beach-Destin area was stable at 3.6%. Tallahassee, Napoli Marco Island, Jacksonville, Tampacent Petersburg – Clearwater area was 3.8%.
The area in the village and Wildwood area was the highest percentage at 6.8%, followed by the Homo Sassa Springs area at 5.7% and the Sebring area at 5.5%.
Fees for February reflect the estimated 398,000 Floridians eligible for work from a workforce of 1196 million. According to a report from the Commerce Department, the number of unemployed and labor forces rose by about 8,000 in February.
The unemployment rate rose from a historical low of 3.2% in February 2024. The national unemployment rate last month was 4.1%, up from 3.9% the previous year.
The new numbers show federal employment in Florida fell 700 from January to February.
Jimmy Heckman, chief of the Department of Commerce’s Labor Force Statistics and Economic Survey, said he has not seen the impact of federal action on Florida’s unemployment rate.
“If there’s an impact, it’s still too early to see them,” Heckman told reporters Friday. “We are reporting on information collected in mid-February.”
The report showed that employment in the state’s leisure and hospitality sector lost 3,600 net positions in February, while the trade, transport and utility categories lost 3,300. Meanwhile, Construction has acquired a position of 5,500 people. This is linked to an increase in home construction transactions, including electricity, painting, roofing and plumbing contractors.
The manufacturing industry has also added 1,400 jobs. Heckman has 432,000 manufacturing workers in Florida, and since around 2002, Governor Ron Desantis has issued a statement promoting increased manufacturing employment.
“These are good jobs. These are strong businesses,” DeSantis said. “We need to make things in the US and there’s no better place to make things than the free state of Florida.”
Statewide rates are seasonally adjusted, but metrorates are not adjusted.
Original issue: March 28, 2025, 2:53pm EDT
