Jacksonville’s unemployment rate fell sharply in December, a normal seasonal trend as businesses add staff for the holiday season, but job growth slowed in the region.
The unemployment rate in the Jacksonville metropolitan area of Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties fell from 5.1% in November to 4.6% in December, the Florida Department of Commerce reported Jan. 23.
The 5.1% November rate was the highest since it was also 5.1% in January 2021, when the economy was recovering from the coronavirus pandemic.
The Department of Commerce does not adjust local area data for seasonal factors, such as holiday hiring, in its monthly reports.
The agency said Florida’s statewide unemployment, without adjustment, fell by 0.5 percentage points to 4.4% in December. But when seasonally adjusted, the rate edged up by 0.1 point to 4.3%.
The rate in all five counties in the Jacksonville area dropped sharply in December without seasonal adjustment, with Duval and Clay counties falling to 4.7% and Baker, Nassau and St. Johns at 4.5%.
While the unemployment rate fell, nonagricultural employers in the Jacksonville metro area added just 5,600 jobs from December 2024 through December 2025, a 0.7% growth rate.
That’s down from a 1.3% growth rate in the 12 months through November.
The biggest growth sector in Northeast Florida was the category of private education and health services, which added 9,300 jobs in the 12 months through December, a 6.9% increase.
However, that was offset by declines in several sectors.
The trade, transportation and utilities sector lost 2,900 jobs, a 1.6% decline.
The administrative and support and waste management and remediation services sector lost 1,500 jobs, or 2.8%, and the finance and insurance sector fell by 500 jobs, or 0.8%.
While job growth was slow in the Jacksonville area, it was better than Florida’s statewide growth rate of 0.4% in December. The national growth rate was also 0.4%.