County unemployment unchanged in September

Franklin County’s unemployment remained steady at 2.4 percent in September, according to a recent release from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.

Six people were added to the county’s labor force, bringing the total to 4,880, and one person was removed from the county’s jobless roll, which now totals 116.

This marks a notable drop from one year ago, in September 2021, when Franklin County had a jobless rate of 3.3 percent, and 158 people were without jobs within a smaller workforce of 4,725 people.

The county’s jobless rate is tied for sixth best in the state with Alachua County, Martin County, Pinellas County and Seminole County.

They fell just behind Gulf, Walton, Santa Rosa, Bay Nassau and Clay counties at 2.3 percent; Okaloosa and Wakulla counties at 2.2 percent; St. Johns County at 2.1; Miami-Dade County at 2.0; and Monroe County, the best in the state, at 1.6 percent.

Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 2.6 percent in September 2022, down 0.2 percentage point from the revised August rate, and down 1.4 percentage points from a year ago. The U.S. unemployment rate was 3.3 percent in September.

There were 277,000 jobless Floridians out of a labor force of more than 10.8 million. 

Florida’s seasonally adjusted total nonagricultural employment was 9,501,800 in September 2022, an increase of 48,800 jobs (+0.5 percent) over the month. The state gained 463,300 jobs over the year, an increase of 5.1 percent. Nationally, the number of jobs rose 3.9 percent over the year. 

Florida’s total nonagricultural and private sector employment surpassed the February 2020 (pre-pandemic) level in October 2021 and the labor force surpassed the February 2020 level in June 2021.

All 10 major industries experienced positive over-the-year job growth in September. 

The industries gaining jobs over the year included leisure and hospitality (+106,800 jobs, +9.1 percent); trade, transportation, and utilities (+94,000 jobs, +5.1 percent); education and health services (+71,100 jobs, +5.3 percent); professional and business services (+66,300 jobs, +4.5 percent); financial activities (+35,600 jobs, +5.7 percent); other services (+30,900 jobs, +9.2 percent); manufacturing (+28,500 jobs, +7.3 percent); construction (+24,400 jobs, +4.2 percent); information (+8,000 jobs, +5.6 percent); and total government (+1,800 jobs, +0.2 percent).