Jax adds 21,600 new jobs in the last year; unemployment is just 4.3%

Another month has gone by, and with it comes another press release from Gov. Rick Scott extolling job creation in Jacksonville.

“I am proud to announce today that Jacksonville added nearly 22,000 new jobs over the year. Every new job makes an important difference in someone’s life, and that is why we will continue to work toward making Florida a national leader for jobs,” Scott said.

Jacksonville added 21,600 new private-sector jobs between April 2015 and last month. The area’s unemployment rate now is at 4.3 percent, down from 5.1 percent a year ago and lower than April’s statewide unemployment rate of 4.8 percent.

Sectors booming over the last year include leisure and hospitality, adding 5,900 new jobs; hospitality, with 4,900 new jobs; and 5,953 openings in STEM jobs, a sector that was a campaign priority for Jacksonville’s mayor, Lenny Curry.

Statewide, 244,300 private sector jobs have been created over the last year.

All told, almost 1.1 million private sector jobs have been created since December 2010 in the Sunshine State.