St Johns County still ranked lowest unemployment in Northeast Florida

Historic City News local reporters were provided an overview of the CareerSource Northeast Florida Region by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.  The information from the Bureau of Workforce Statistics and Economic Research was current as of Friday, March 27, 2020, and was not seasonally adjusted.

The unemployment rate in the CareerSource Northeast Florida region (St Johns, Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau, and Putnam counties) was 3.0 percent in February 2020. This rate was 0.3 percentage point lower than the region’s year ago rate of 3.3 percent. The labor force was 824,057, up 25,911 (+3.2) over the year. There were 24,797 unemployed residents in the region.

• St. Johns County had the lowest unemployment rate (2.5 percent) in the CareerSource Northeast Florida region followed by Nassau County (2.8 percent), Baker County (2.9 percent), Clay County (2.9 percent), Duval County (3.1 percent), and Putnam County (4.3 percent).

• In February 2020 nonagricultural employment in the local metro service area was 738,400, an increase of 21,500 jobs (+3.0 percent) over the year.

• The professional and business services (+6.2 percent); education and health services (+4.1 percent); financial activities (+3.3 percent); leisure and hospitality (+3.0 percent); manufacturing (+2.8 percent); other services (+2.2 percent); and trade, transportation, and utilities (+1.8 percent) industries grew faster in the local metro service area than statewide over the year.

• The local metro service area had the highest annual job growth compared to all the metro areas in the state in professional and business services (+6,700 jobs) in February 2020.

• The local metro service area was tied for the second highest annual job growth compared to all the metro areas in the state in other services (+600 jobs) in February 2020.

• The local metro service area had the third highest annual job growth compared to all the metro areas in the state in education and health services (+4,500 jobs) and trade, transportation, and utilities (+2,800 jobs) in February 2020.

• The local metro service area had the third fastest annual job growth rate compared to all the metro areas in the state in education and health services (+4.1 percent) in February 2020.

• The industries gaining in jobs over the year were: professional and business services (+6,700 jobs); education and health services (+4,500 jobs); trade, transportation, and utilities (+2,800 jobs); leisure and hospitality (+2,600 jobs); financial activities (+2,200 jobs); mining, logging, and construction (+1,000 jobs); manufacturing (+900 jobs); other services (+600 jobs); and government (+300 jobs).

• The information (-100 jobs) industry lost jobs over the year.