The Florida Department of Commerce on Friday released a report that said the state had a 3.1 percent unemployment rate in February. Here are county rates:
- — Miami-Dade County: 1.6 percent
- — Monroe County: 2.1 percent
- — Gulf County: 2.9 percent
- — Wakulla County: 2.9 percent
- — Collier County: 3.0 percent
- — Okaloosa County: 3.0 percent
- — Seminole County: 3.0 percent
- — St. Johns County: 3.0 percent
- — Broward County: 3.1 percent
- — Nassau County: 3.1 percent
- — Orange County: 3.1 percent
- — Pinellas County: 3.1 percent
- — Union County: 3.1 percent
- — Baker County: 3.2 percent
- — Bay County: 3.2 percent
- — Hillsborough County: 3.2 percent
- — Martin County: 3.2 percent
- — Santa Rosa County: 3.2 percent
- — Walton County: 3.2 percent
- — Alachua County: 3.3 percent
- — Brevard County: 3.3 percent
- — Clay County: 3.3 percent
- — Lee County: 3.3 percent
- — Leon County: 3.3 percent
- — Palm Beach County: 3.3 percent
- — Duval County: 3.4 percent
- — Franklin County: 3.4 percent
- — Manatee County: 3.4 percent
- — Okeechobee County: 3.4 percent
- — Sarasota County: 3.4 percent
- — Escambia County: 3.5 percent
- — Lake County: 3.5 percent
- — Bradford County: 3.6 percent
- — Calhoun County: 3.6 percent
- — Jefferson County: 3.6 percent
- — Osceola County: 3.6 percent
- — Volusia County: 3.6 percent
- — Washington County: 3.6 percent
- — Columbia County: 3.7 percent
- — Lafayette County: 3.7 percent
- — Gilchrist County: 3.8 percent
- — Holmes County: 3.8 percent
- — Indian River County: 3.8 percent
- — Levy County: 3.8 percent
- — Liberty County: 3.8 percent
- — Pasco County: 3.8 percent
- — Suwannee County: 3.8 percent
- — Charlotte County: 3.9 percent
- — Gadsden County: 3.9 percent
- — Madison County: 3.9 percent
- — Polk County: 3.9 percent
- — St. Lucie County: 3.9 percent
- — DeSoto County: 4.0 percent
- — Dixie County: 4.0 percent
- — Jackson County: 4.0 percent
- — Flagler County: 4.1 percent
- — Glades County: 4.1 percent
- — Marion County: 4.1 percent
- — Hardee County: 4.3 percent
- — Putnam County: 4.3 percent
- — Hernando County: 4.4 percent
- — Hamilton County: 4.5 percent
- — Hendry County: 4.5 percent
- — Taylor County: 4.5 percent
- — Highlands County: 4.8 percent
- — Sumter County: 5.1 percent
- — Citrus County: 5.2 percent
Source: Florida Department of Commerce
@ CJ, if the CIty population dips under 50K, then it will lose its CDBG funding status from HUD resulting in about a $750,000 loss annually from grants that directly assist low and moderate income households. Just a thought.
The Florida Department of Commerce website is excellent. In one place it has lots of useful information but also lots of useful links to other places with useful information. Did you knows that the City of Pensacola is again losing population? The city’s population is still far less than in its highest in 1970 – 59,507. The 2020 census reported 54,312. But the census data you can get to via the DOC website shows the 2020 population down to 53,876. Why? So, maybe we don’t need to do as Mayor Reeves and the Council want and sell or lease our city parks to convert them to more housing. Few people = less demand for housing. A declining population may help keep our parks out of the clutches of real estate developers! DOC also gives more detailed overviews of employment. The Pensacola Metro Area is Region 1 or the “Escarosa Region.” The region’s unemployment rate is up 0.3% from this time last year. Why? A document at the link below describes the industries in the Escarosa Region with job growth and those with job loss:
https://lmsresources.labormarketinfo.com/library/releases/arearelease_region1.pdf