Jacksonville’s unemployment rate jumped higher in June, a normal seasonal trend as high school and college graduates enter the labor force and don’t immediately find jobs.
The jobless rate for the Jacksonville metropolitan area of Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties rose from 3% in May to 3.6% last month, the Florida Department of Commerce reported July 19.
That was the highest unemployment rate in the area since it was also 3.6% in January 2022.
The number of Jacksonville area residents with jobs rose by about 1,000 people to 820,594 in June, but the size of the labor force grew by about 6,500 to 851,099, so the unemployment rate rose.
People are only counted as being in the labor force if they have jobs or are actively seeking employment.
The Department of Commerce does not adjust local area unemployment data for seasonal factors, such as the influx of new graduates into the workforce, in its monthly reports.
The agency reported Florida’s statewide jobless rate, without adjustment, jumped by 0.6 percentage points to 3.5%.
However, when seasonally adjusted for normal June trends, the rate was unchanged at 3.3%, the agency said.
All five counties in the Jacksonville area saw unemployment rise in June. Duval County’s rate rose from 3.1% to 3.7%, the highest of the five counties.
St. Johns had the lowest jobless rate at 3.2%, with Nassau at 3.3% and Baker and Clay both at 3.5%.
Job growth slowed at non-agricultural business in the metro area in June.
Business added 12,100 jobs from June 2023 through June 2024, a 1.5% growth rate. That’s down from a 2.1% growth rate in May.
The biggest job gains in the 12-month period came from the private education and health services sector, which added 3,900 jobs, a 3.1% gain.
Leisure and hospitality added 2,300 jobs, or 2.5%, and construction was strong with a gain of 2,100 jobs, or 4.2%.
The financial activities sector had the biggest job losses, falling 1,600, or 2.1%, in the 12 months.
The category of administrative and support and waste management and remediation services lost 1,300 jobs, or 2.3%
Jacksonville’s job growth rate was lower than Florida’s statewide increase of 2% over the past year.