ORLANDO, Fla. — Today, Governor Rick Scott announced that Florida businesses have created more than 1.5 million jobs since December 2010. March 2018 also marked 36 consecutive months of the Orlando area leading job creation in the state, adding 42,000 new private-sector jobs in the past year. The unemployment rate in Orlando was a low 3.3 percent, down 0.5 percentage points from one year ago. Statewide, Florida businesses created 12,500 new jobs in March.

Governor Scott said, “Orlando’s economy is on a roll. I was proud to join VOXX International in Orlando today to celebrate their success, and Orlando’s continued success as the statewide leader in job growth. I will continue to fight for jobs for Florida families as we keep bringing good, high-paying jobs to the Orlando area and statewide.”

Orlando led the state in job growth over the year in the following industries:

• Leisure and hospitality with 12,300 new jobs;
• Professional and business services with 8,100 new jobs; and
• Trade, transportation and utilities with 4,500 new jobs. 

In March, the Orlando area was once again second among state metro areas in job demand with 37,512 job openings. Orlando also remained the second-highest metro area in demand for high-skill, high-wage STEM occupations with 11,003 openings.

As of March, Florida’s unemployment rate remains low 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 past year, 132,000 people entered Florida’s labor force, a growth of 1.3 percent, which is greater than the national labor force growth rate of 1.0 percent.

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

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