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 Fort Lauderdale area’s unemployment rate was 5.3 percent in January, down from 17.2 percent reported in May 2020, the highest rate during the pandemic. The Fort Lauderdale area private sector employment decreased by 58,100 jobs, a decline of 7.6 percent over the year. The industry losing the most jobs over the year was leisure and hospitality, decreasing by 18,400 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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