A.G. Gancarski
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry calls Rick Scott the Jobs Governor. And more evidence of that came through Friday, as Scott trumpeted 20,700 new Jacksonville jobs in the past year.
Governor Scott said, “Jacksonville businesses have added 20,700 new jobs and the unemployment rate has dropped to 4.5 percent, which is exciting news for families. Every job created makes an incredible difference in someone’s life, and we are proud to celebrate the creation of more than one million jobs in only five years. However, our work will not be done until we make Florida first in the nation for jobs.”
The area’s unemployment rate declined by 1.0 percentage point during the year to 4.5 percent in February, according to the release from the Governor’s media shop. Statewide, unemployment is 4.9 percent.
“In February, the Jacksonville area was among the top five metro areas in the state for job demand with 21,692 job openings including 6,001 openings for high-wage, high-skill science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) jobs,” the release continued.
STEM jobs have been a priority of Curry and the City Council.
“As this data shows, Jacksonville has seen incredible momentum in recent months,” Curry said. “It reflects our continued commitment to creating a culture that attracts global businesses, increases economic development opportunities, and strengthens partnerships with our State, JAX Chamber and business community.”
Also gaining in the Jacksonville area: leisure and hospitality with 6,200 new jobs; and trade, transportation, and utilities with 4,300 new jobs.
