Jacksonville unemployment rate falls below 9% in March

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Duval County’s unemployment rate fell to a seasonally adjusted 8.87 percent in March, marking the first drop below 9 percent since January 2009, when it was 8.94 percent.

University of North Florida economics professor Paul Mason, who adjusts the state’s reported numbers for seasonal factors, said the February rate was 9.18 percent and the March 2011 rate was 10.8 percent.

Mason said Duval’s rate is higher than the five-county metro area’s seasonally adjusted rate of 8.4 percent, but represents an improvement nonetheless.

“I am hopeful that we have turned the corner toward improving the business and employment climate,” Mason said.

Duval County is the largest county in the metro area, which consists of Duval, Baker, Clay, Nassau and St. Johns counties.

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity released the rates last week. Its report included other data, including the size of Duval’s labor force and the number of employed and unemployed people.

In March, there were 442,780 people in Duval’s labor force, about the same as in February but down about 1,500 people from March 2011.

A labor force consists of people who are working and who are looking for work. It does not count those who are not working and not seeking a job.

At the same time, the number of people employed has grown and the number unemployed has dropped.

Duval’s employment count in March was 404,062, up more than 2,000 people from February and more than 6,100 over the year, according to the state.

Unemployment was down by more than 2,100 people over the month and down about 7,600 people over the year.

Duval County is considered the employment center of the metro area.

In a separate measure, March numbers show total nonfarm employment in the metro area of 593,300. Goods-producing employment constituted about 9 percent of those jobs, while service-providing jobs accounted for 91 percent.

The state found that the area gained 1,500 nonfarm jobs over the year, with goods-producing industries falling by 1,900 positions and service providers gaining 3,400 jobs.

Within goods-producing industries, construction lost 1,800 jobs and manufacturing jobs dropped by 100.

Within service-providing industries, government jobs fell by 1,000 over the year while private jobs gained 4,400.

Within the government, the state said from March-March, federal positions remained steady while state jobs fell by 300 and local positions dropped by 700.

Within private service-providers, retail trade gained the largestemployment, at 3,500 employees. Professional and technical employees grew almost as much, at 3,400 positions.

Areas that showed lower levels of service-providing employment included administrative and waste services; finance and insurance; and transportation, warehousing and utilities.

Duval’s unadjusted unemployment rate of 8.7 percent was the third-best in the seven-county region. While the metro area is five counties, the JAX Chamber focuses on the region that also includes Flagler and Putnam counties.

Flagler County had a 12.2 percent unemployment rate in March, the highest in the state.

For March, the state reported the percentage of unemployment nationwide based on educational levels for people age 25 and older.

The rate was highest for people with less than a high school diploma, at 12.6 percent, and lowest for those with a bachelor’s degree, at 4.2 percent.

Also, the state looked at categories of unemployed people and their reasons for unemployment.

People who lost jobs accounted for almost 61 percent of the unemployed followed by people who are trying to re-enter the workforce, at almost 24 percent. New job-seekers and job-leavers made up the remainder.

The state also reported the 2011 unemployment rates by age, gender, race and ethnicity.

• By age, the highest unemployment rate was 28.6 percent for teenagers and the lowest was 8.3 percent for people age 55 and over.

• By gender, men had a 2011 unemployment rate of 10.7 percent and women had a 9.2 percent rate.

• By race and ethnicity, black unemployment was the highest, at 17.1 percent, followed by Hispanic unemployment, at 11.6 percent. White unemployment was 8.7 percent.

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Metro Jacksonville March employment up 1,500

The Jacksonville metropolitan area of Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties added 1,500 jobs in March 2012 over March 2011. Here’s where the jobs were created or dropped.

Goods-producing - 1,900

• Construction - 1,800

• Manufacturing - 100

Service-providing + 3,400

• Private service-providing + 4,400

- Trade, transportation & utilities + 3,000

- Information - 100

- Financial activities - 300

- Professional & business services + 1,500

- Education & health services + 500

- Leisure & hospitality + 500

- Other services - 700

• Total government - 1,000

Source: Florida Department of Economic Opportunity

Florida 2011 unemployment rates by age, gender and race

Florida’s 2011 annual average unemployment rates from the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Population Survey.

Unemployment rates by age

Age Rate

16-19 28.6%

20-24 15.5%

25-54 9.1%

55 and over 8.3%

Unemployment rates by gender

Gender Rate

Male 10.7%

Female 9.2%

Unemployment rates by race and ethnicity

Race/ethnicity Rate

White 8.7%

Black 17.1%

Hispanic 11.6%

Source: Florida Department of Economic Opportunity

Regional county rates March

Flagler County had the highest unemployment rate in the state in March. The lowest was Monroe County, at 5.1 percent. Rates are unadjusted for seasonal factors.

County Rate

Flagler 12.2%

Putnam 10.6%

Duval 8.7% Baker 8.6%

Florida 8.6%

U.S. 8.4%

Nassau 7.8%

Clay 7.7%

St. Johns 7.1%

Source: Florida Department of Economic Opportunity

Rates by education in March

Unemployment rates by educational attainment in the United States, ages 25 and older.