TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity announced the statewide number of private sector jobs increased by 19,200 over the month. Florida’s unemployment rate was 4.7 percent in February 2021, down from the January rate of 4.8 percent. Florida’s labor force was up 55,000, a growth of 0.5 percentage point over the month.

The unemployment rate in the Fort Lauderdale area was 5.6 percent in February, down from 17.2 percent reported in May 2020, the highest rate during the pandemic. The Fort Lauderdale area private sector employment decreased by 53,700 jobs, a decline of 7.0 percent over the year. The industry losing the least amount of jobs over the year was construction, decreasing by 1,200 jobs. The industry losing the most jobs over the year was leisure and hospitality, decreasing by 18,200 jobs.

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

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