from staff
The national recession began in December 2007 and ended as of June 2009.
While population in the five-county Jacksonville metropolitan area increased between 2007 and 2009, the number of those employed fell 5 percent from 2008, and the number of those unemployed rose almost 50 percent, according to a survey recently released by the U.S. Census Bureau.
The unemployment rate in metro Jacksonville rose from 6.6 percent in 2007 to 10.3 percent in 2009, the survey reported.
This is the first of a series of Jacksonville facts from the U.S. Census Bureau that the Daily Record will publish over the coming days.
Employment
The U.S. Census Bureau recently released its American Community Survey for 2009. The survey produces population, demographic and housing unit estimates.
Here are some of the economic characteristics for the Jacksonville metro area of Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties.
| Employment status | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2008-2009 change |
| Total population age 16+ | 1,010,045 | 1,026,941 | 1,041,122 | +1.4% |
| Population in labor force | 676,074 | 701,744 | 698,480 | -0.5% |
| Civilian labor force | 665,291 | 690,120 | 681,422 | -1.3% |
| Employed | 621,323 | 643,108 | 611,197 | -5% |
| Unemployed | 43,968 | 47,012 | 70,225 | +49.4% |
| % unemployed | 6.6% | 6.8% | 10.3% | |
| Population not in labor force | 333,971 | 325,197 | 342,642 | +5.4% |
| % not in labor force | 33.1% | 31.7% | 32.9% |