TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity announced the statewide number of private sector jobs increased 1,700 from December 2020.  Florida’s unemployment rate was 4.8 percent in January 2021, down from the revised December rate of 5.1 percent.  Florida’s labor force was up 25,000, a growth of 0.2 percentage point over the month.

The unemployment rate in the Orlando area was 5.8 percent in January, down from 22.6 percent reported in May 2020, the highest rate during the pandemic. The Orlando area private sector employment decreased by 169,400 jobs over the year, a decline of 14.0 percent. The industries losing the least amount of jobs over the year were information, decreasing by 1,200 jobs, and construction, decreasing by 1,500 jobs. The industry losing the most jobs over the year was leisure and hospitality, decreasing by 105,400 jobs.   

To view the January 2021 employment data, visit www.floridajobs.org/labor-market-information/labor-market-information-press-releases/monthly-press-releases.  

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