Jacksonville’s unemployment rate rose in July to its highest level since the coronavirus pandemic.
The jobless rate in the Jacksonville metropolitan area of Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties rose from 3.6% in June to 3.8% last month, the Florida Department of Commerce reported Aug.16.
That’s the highest unemployment rate since it was also 3.8% in September 2021. Before that month, unemployment was above 4% as the economy recovered from pandemic-related shutdowns.
The increase in July resulted from more people entering the labor force. The number of people employed was basically unchanged from June at 821,441, but the size of the labor force grew by almost 2,000 to 853,756, so unemployment rose.
People are only counted in the labor force if they are working or are actively seeking jobs.
Unemployment rates generally rise in the summer months as recent college and high school graduates enter the labor force. The Department of Commerce does not adjust the Jacksonville area data for seasonal factors in its monthly reports.
The agency said Florida’s statewide unemployment was unchanged in July at a seasonally adjusted 3.3%.
However, before seasonal adjustment, it rose by 0.3 percentage points to 3.8%.
All five counties in the Jacksonville metro area saw increased unemployment in July, without seasonal adjustment.
The highest jobless rate was in Duval County, which rose by 0.2 points to 4%.
St. Johns County had the lowest rate at 3.4%.
Nassau was at 3.5%, with Baker and Clay both at 3.6%.
While Northeast Florida’s unemployment rate increased, job growth also rose in July.
Nonfarm employers added 18,100 jobs to their payrolls from July 2023 through July 2024, a 2.3% growth rate.
The growth rate was just 1.5% in the 12 months through June.
The biggest job gains came in the private education and health service sector, which added 5,100 jobs over the 12 months, an increase of 4.1%.
The leisure and hospitality sector added 4,300 jobs, or 4.7%.
On a percentage basis, construction was the strongest sector with 5.3% growth as the industry added 2,700 jobs.
The only major declining sector was financial activities which lost 900 jobs, or 1.2%.
Florida’s statewide job growth rate was 1.6% in July.