Jacksonville’s unemployment rate ticked higher in March as more people sought work and entered the labor force, but job growth remained strong.
The unemployment rate in the Jacksonville metropolitan area of Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties rose from 2.5% in February to 2.6% in March, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity reported April 21.
The number of people in the labor force, consisting of people with jobs or actively looking for work, rose by about 3,500 to 857,983 last month, but the number of people saying they are employed rose by only about 2,800 to 835,806, so the jobless rate rose.
However, nonfarm businesses in Northeast Florida reported a net gain of 38,700 jobs from March 2022 through March 2023, a 5.1% growth rate.
Duval County’s unemployment rate edged up by 0.1 point to 2.7% in March, but the other five counties in the metro area were all below that.
St. Johns County was at 2.3%, Clay and Nassau were at 2.4% and Baker was at 2.5%.
Florida’s statewide unemployment rate was unchanged at a seasonally adjusted 2.6% in March. The Department of Economic Opportunity does not adjust local area unemployment rates for seasonal factors.
Almost every industry sector in the Jacksonville area has seen gains in business payrolls over the past year.
The only exceptions are two sectors that were unchanged from March 2022 through March 2023, telecommunications at 2,200 jobs and mining and logging at 400.
The biggest job gains came in the private education and health services sector, which added 6,300 jobs in the 12-month period, a 5.5% gain.
On a percentage basis, the biggest gains came in management of companies and enterprises at 10.3% after adding 900 jobs.
The construction industry also grew strongly, adding 3,700 jobs, or 7.5%
Florida’s statewide job growth rate was 4.5% in the 12-month period.