TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, Governor Rick Scott announced that Florida businesses created more than 10,000 private-sector jobs in January. Since December 2010, Florida businesses have created nearly 1.5 million jobs, which includes more than 144,000 in the last year. Florida’s annual job growth rate of 1.9 percent continues to exceed the nation’s rate of 1.7 percent. Florida’s annual job growth rate has exceeded the nation for 69 of the past 70 months.

Governor Scott said, “Businesses in the Sunshine State have created nearly 1.5 million new private-sector jobs for Florida families since December 2010. In January 2018, we saw the creation of more than 10,000 jobs and I look forward to the many new opportunities that will become available to Florida families in the upcoming months. We are excited to continue making Florida the best place in the nation for residents and businesses to thrive.”

As of January, Florida’s unemployment rate is at 3.9 percent, a drop of 6.9 percentage points since December 2010; this drop is faster than the national decline of 5.2 percentage points. In the last year, 137,000 people entered Florida’s labor force, a growth of 1.4 percent, which is nearly one and a half times the national labor force growth rate of only 0.9 percent.

Cissy Proctor, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, said, “Florida businesses have created more than 10,000 jobs in January alone thanks to Governor Scott’s commitment to lowering taxes and business-friendly policies, which allow companies to grow and prosper in our state. I am proud of the Sunshine State’s flourishing economy, making our home the greatest place to live, work, play and raise a family.”

Other positive economic indicators include:

• Private-sector industries gaining the most jobs over-the-year were:
• Professional and business services with 36,000 new jobs;
• Leisure and hospitality with 32,400 new jobs;
• Construction with 28,600 new jobs;
• Education and health services with 17,100 new jobs; and
• Financial activities with 15,000 new jobs.
• Florida job postings showed 261,619 openings in January 2018.

To view the January 2018 employment data visit www.floridajobs.org/labor-market-information/labor-market-information-press-releases/monthly-press-releases.

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