ORLANDO, Fla. — Today, Governor Rick Scott announced that the Orlando area has the highest job creation in the state, adding 40,800 new private-sector jobs in the last year. The unemployment rate in Orlando dropped to 3.8 percent, down 0.9 percentage point from one year ago. Statewide, Florida businesses created 22,100 new jobs in August and the unemployment rate dropped to 4.0 percent, the lowest rate since June 2007. Since December 2010, Florida businesses have created 1,441,000 new private-sector jobs.

Orlando led the state in job growth over the year in the following industries: leisure and hospitality with 11,600 new jobs; financial activities with 3,500 new jobs; and manufacturing with 2,600 new jobs. In August, the Orlando area remained second among state metro areas in job demand with 34,231 job openings. Orlando also remained the second-highest metro area in demand for high-skill, high-wage STEM occupations with 9,659 openings.

Florida’s annual job growth rate of 2.9 percent exceeds the nation’s rate of 1.7 percent, continuing the 65-month trend of our state’s rate being higher than the nation’s. In August, 23,936 Floridians were placed in jobs by CareerSource Central Florida and the state’s other 23 local workforce boards. 

To view the August 2017 employment data visit www.floridajobs.org/labor-market-information/labor-market-information-press-releases/monthly-press-releases.

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