Florida is expected to gain more than a million jobs through 2019.
However, “almost 80 percent of the job growth projected will be the regaining of jobs lost during the recent economic downtown,” said the state Agency for Workforce Innovation.
The agency recently released employment projections through 2019.
Among its assumptions: “Long-term growth will be weaker due to a prolonged sluggish economy that points to a slow recovery at the state and national levels.”
Also, 60 percent of the projected job openings will be due to replacement needs and only 40 percent will be because of economic growth.
Projections show that more than
8.9 million people will be employed in the state by 2019, which represents an annual growth rate of 1.62 percent from now until then.
In a separate report, the agency detailed the effect of education on earnings and unemployment rates as of 2010.
Doctoral and professional degrees commanded the highest average annual earnings, both exceeding $80,000, and the lowest unemployment rates, at less than 3 percent.
Workers without a high school diploma fared relatively poorly, at annual median earnings of $23,088 and an unemployment rate of almost 15 percent.
The agency reported that the state’s average wage as of 2010 was $41,570, ranging from a low of $26,923 in Holmes County to $45,840 in Palm Beach. Duval’s average wage was $45,082.
By industry, the highest average annual wage was $61,487 for information jobs and the lowest was $21,448 for leisure and hospitality workers.
Of the state’s top 10 fastest-growing occupations through 2019, all require postsecondary training, four are health care related, four are construction related and seven earn more than $15 an hour.
The average hourly pay for all Florida occupations this year is $19.69, up 2.2 percent from $19.27 last year.
However, the average hourly wage for jobs requiring postsecondary training below a bachelor’s degree is higher, at $21.11.
Meanwhile, except for mining, all major industry sectors will see employment gains through 2019, but only five of the 12 major industry sectors will see growth beyond their pre-recession peaks.
The fastest-growing industries for jobs will be construction and professional and business services.
Construction, however, lost more jobs than any other industries during the recession and is projected to regain only 30 percent of its job losses, said the report.
The industries gaining the most jobs will be education and health care as well as professional and business services. Yet some will be rebounding from some of their lowest employment levels in a decade, it said.
Among the state’s projections:
• Health care is projected to continue to be strong as physicians’ offices and home health services lead employment growth.
• Growth in the private education sector will result largely from job gains in private colleges and universities.
• Manufacturing is projected to be the slowest-growing major industry sector.
• Trade, transportation and utilities will grow slower than average because consumers will maintain frugal spending habits and retailers will use more labor-saving opportunities.
• The information sector will be the second slowest-growing industry, with gains in Internet-related services and motion picture production jobs offset by losses in the telecommunications industry.
• The financial activities sector will grow slower than other industries because of mergers, slow demand for mortgages and increased productivity because of technology.
• Leisure and hospitality jobs will grow slower because of the industry’s dependence on consumer spending and “the difficulties of recapturing lost ground in global tourism.”
• Government will grow very slowly because of budget shortfalls; the postal service will shed jobs, state government agencies will privatize jobs and local governments and school districts will reduce services.
• The growth in jobs for self-employed workers and unpaid family workers will be slower than average and account for only 5.7 percent of the new jobs.
• Five occupational groups — clerical, sales, food service, health care professionals and construction — will account for 50 percent of the new jobs.
• Construction, health care support and health care professional occupations will grow the fastest.
• Clerical, sales and health care professional occupations will gain the most new jobs.
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Fastest-growing jobs by industry 2011-19
The state researched the fastest-growing jobs by industry.
• Specialty trade contractors, growing at an average 4.08 percent a year.
• Construction of buildings, 3.34 percent a year.
• Ambulatory health care services, 3.32 percent a year.
• Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing, 3.03 percent a year.
• Administrative and support services, 2.93 percent a year.
• Professional, scientific and technical services, 2.81 percent a year.
• Motion picture and sound recording industries, 2.66 percent a year.
• Furniture and home furnishings stores, 2.83 percent a year.
• Rental and leasing services, 2.61 percent a year.
• Social assistance, 2.3 percent a year.
Industries gaining the most new jobs 2011-19
The state researched the industries gaining the most new jobs.
• Administrative and support services, an average 15,480 jobs a year.
• Ambulatory health care services, 12,706 jobs a year.
• Professional, scientific and technical services, 12,574 jobs a year.
• Local government, 10,115 jobs a year.
• Specialty trade contractors, 8,582 jobs a year.
• Food services and drinking places, 8,112 jobs a year.
• Nursing and residential care facilities, 4,141 jobs a year.
• Private education services, 3,678 jobs a year.
• General merchandise stores, 3,643 jobs a year.
• Hospitals, 3,439 jobs a year.