Florida unemployment rate in January shows first increase in months
Furloughed Or Redundant Employees Sent Home. Temporary Shutdown Causing Layoffs From Economy Or Coronavirus - 3d Illustration

Furloughed Or Redundant Employees Sent Home - 3d Illustration
Every major metropolitan area in the state saw the unemployment increase for the month and year-over-year.

Florida’s jobless rate increased for the first time in about a half year to start 2025.

FloridaCommerce released the January figures showing that the unemployment rate came in at 3.5%. That’s the first increase in about a half year.

The rate held steady at 3.4% for the back half of 2024. Prior to that, the rate remained at 3.3% for most of early last year.

There were 390,000 people out of work in January in Florida out of a total labor force of 11,188,000 people in the state. That total labor force figure is the highest number Florida has ever seen.

“Florida continues to prove that leadership and conservative fiscal policies drive success,” said Gov. Ron DeSantis. “We will keep the momentum going by insisting on reducing government spending, continuing to eliminate bureaucracy, and finding more tax reductions for Floridians.”

While Florida’s jobless rate increased in January, it still remains lower than the national rate, which is 4%. The Sunshine State has maintained a lower jobless figure than the national number for 51 straight months.

Miami-Dade County had the lowest unemployment rate in the state for January at 2.4%, slightly down from December’s 2.5%. But compared to a year ago, January’s unemployment rate saw a 0.5-percentage-point increase from last year.

Sumter County had the highest unemployment rate in the state in January at 6.9%.

Among major metropolitan areas in Florida, Fort Myers and Pensacola shared the dubious distinction of having 4% unemployment rates in January, the highest among large metro areas. Both were increases month-to-month and compared to January 2024.

Jacksonville and Tampa each had a 3.8% unemployment rate in January. Both were increases from a year ago, and each had an increase from the December unemployment rate.

Palm Beach County registered a 3.7% jobless figure in January. That figure was also up for the month and the year-over-year comparison.

The Orlando area also had an increase in the jobless figure, coming in at 3.6%. As was the same with other major metro areas, that figure was an increase for the month and the year.

Drew Dixon

Drew Dixon is a journalist of 40 years who has reported in print and broadcast throughout Florida, starting in Ohio in the 1980s. He is also an adjunct professor of philosophy and ethics at three colleges, Jacksonville University, University of North Florida and Florida State College at Jacksonville. You can reach him at [email protected].


2 comments

  • Michael K

    March 17, 2025 at 3:50 pm

    Welcome to Trump’s recession. His goal is to destroy the US economy.

    Reply

  • PeterH

    March 17, 2025 at 4:40 pm

    Why is unemployment going up in the peak of the tourist season?

    Reply

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