Ryan Nicol
As Floridians ready for the holidays, the state’s unemployment rate is nearing historic lows.
The unemployment rate ticked down slightly in November to 3.1%. That’s the lowest number seen in Florida since March 2006.
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced those numbers in a Friday news release.
“Florida continued to experience positive economic indicators throughout 2019, including a consistently low unemployment rate,” DeSantis said.
“Though we have had a successful year, the state of Florida will not rest on our laurels. My administration is committed to the success of this state and all Floridians. Moving forward, I will continue to prioritize investments in Florida’s workforce and infrastructure to provide continued opportunities for our communities to be resilient and prepared for the future.”
The data for September and October showed the unemployment rate holding steady at 3.2%. But that dip of 0.1 percentage points in November gave Florida a rate seen only twice in the last four decades, according to data from the Governor’s office.
Florida has created 201,700 private-sector jobs in the previous year. A total of 284,849 job postings were available in November, up from 279,983 openings in October.
Florida’s private-sector job growth rate of 2.6% also exceeds the national average of 1.6%.
Ken Lawson, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, added a statement of his own praising the Governor for keeping the state’s economy strong.
“Today’s announcement is continued proof that Governor DeSantis’ focus on creating a smart regulatory environment and keeping taxes low is working and Florida’s residents, businesses and communities are benefiting,” Lawson said.
“Maintaining business-friendly policies, investing in Florida’s infrastructure and developing a workforce for the 21st century makes sense, and businesses throughout the nation are paying attention.”
The highest-growing job sector over the past year as education and health services, with 62,300 new jobs added. The leisure and hospitality sector was second with 38,100 new jobs, followed by the professional and business services industry with 33,600 jobs added.
