Jacksonville’s unemployment ticked up slightly in October despite strong job growth, the Florida Department of Commerce reported Nov. 17.
The unemployment rate in the Jacksonville metropolitan area of Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties rose from 3% in September to 3.1% in October, according to the agency’s survey of households in the region.
A separate survey of nonfarm businesses found Northeast Florida employers added 9,300 jobs to their payrolls in October and 31,200 jobs since October 2022, a 4% growth rate.
Nearly every major industry sector in the metro area has added jobs in the past year. The exception is the information sector, which declined by 500 jobs, or 3.6%, in the 12 months through October.
The biggest gains came in private education and health services which added 8,400 jobs, a 7% gain.
Professional and business services grew by 6,200 jobs, or 4.8%, and trade, transportation and utilities also added 6,200 jobs, a 3.7% gain.
Florida’s statewide unemployment rate was unchanged in October at a seasonally adjusted 2.8%.
The Department of Commerce does not adjust local area unemployment rates for seasonal factors in its monthly reports. The agency said Florida’s unadjusted jobless rate was unchanged at 3%.
While Jacksonville’s unemployment rate was higher than the state’s, its job growth rate was better than Florida’s overall 2.9% increase.