Jacksonville’s unemployment rate remained steady in August but job growth increased slightly, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity reported Sept. 16.
The jobless rate in the Jacksonville metropolitan area of Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties was 2.8% last month, the same as July.
Nonfarm businesses in the Jacksonville area increased jobs by 34,300 to 770,500 in the 12 months through August, a 4.7% growth rate.
Jobs were growing at a 4.5% rate in July.
Unemployment has increased from its record low of 2.2% in April but has remained below 3% in Northeast Florida.
Duval County’s jobless rate ticked lower from 3.1% in July to 3% in August, but the other four counties all were below 3%.
St. Johns County was unchanged at 2.2% in August, tied with Okaloosa County for the second lowest rate among Florida’s 67 counties behind Monroe County’s 1.7%.
Nassau County was at 2.4%, Clay County was 2.5% and Baker County was 2.6%.
Florida’s statewide unemployment rate was unchanged at a seasonally adjusted 2.7% in August. The Department of Economic Opportunity does not adjust the metro area unemployment data for seasonal factors in its monthly reports.
Every major private industry sector increased jobs from August 2021 through August 2022, led by a net gain of 15,700 in the professional and business services sector, a 13.7% increase.
The leisure and hospitality sector continued to recover from coronavirus-related shutdowns, adding 8,300 jobs in the 12-month period, a 10% gain.
Jacksonville lagged behind Florida’s statewide job growth rate of 4.9% in the past year but was better than the national growth rate of 4%.