Jacksonville’s unemployment rate edged higher in November with job growth continuing to be slow, the Florida Department of Commerce reported Dec. 20.
The jobless rate in the Jacksonville metropolitan area of Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties rose from 3.5% in October to 3.6% in November.
Nonfarm businesses in Northeast Florida added 12,400 jobs from November 2023 through November 2024, a 1.5% growth rate.
That’s up from the October growth rate of 1.2% but the labor market has cooled off in 2024 from its growth rates above 3% a year ago.
All five counties in the metro area had increases in the unemployment rate, with Duval County rising by 0.1 percentage point to 3.6%.
Nassau and St. Johns counties were both at 3.4%, Clay was at 3.6% and Baker was at 3.8%.
The Department of Commerce’s survey of business payrolls showed a number of industries adding jobs but there were exceptions.
The financial activities sector had the biggest losses in the 12 months through November, declining by 3,000 jobs, or 3.9%.
The category of administrative and support and waste management and remediation services lost 2,200 jobs in the past year, a 3.8% decline.
The combined category of private education and health services reported the biggest gains, adding 6,600 jobs, or 5.1%.
Construction was an area of strength, adding 2,500 jobs, or 4.8%.
The leisure and hospitality sector also grew by 2,500, or 2.7%.
Jacksonville’s growth rate was behind Florida’s statewide growth of 1.7%.
The state’s unemployment rate rose by 0.1 point to a seasonally adjusted 3.4% in November.
The Department of Commerce does not adjust rates for Jacksonville and other local areas for seasonal factors in its monthly reports.