TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Governor Rick Scott announced job openings increased in April, with a total of 269,535 job openings across Florida, according to Help Wanted OnLine. Florida’s job demand increased by 1.8 percent in April by adding 4,709 openings, beating California’s over-the-month increase of only 0.8 percent.

Governor Rick Scott said, “Today’s great news shows that Florida’s economy is outcompeting the nation, including states like California, for job growth. By cutting taxes more than 55 times since 2010, we have saved Florida families and businesses $5.5 billion. We are working every day to make Florida the best place in the world for businesses to thrive.”

Of the 269,535 online job openings listed in April, nearly 76,000 positions were in STEM-related fields. The top three employers listing jobs in Florida during April were STEM companies. The top occupation in demand continues to be registered nurses, with nearly 15,000 openings across the state.

Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Executive Director Cissy Proctor said, “As more and more high-tech companies move to and expand in the Sunshine State, it’s no surprise that more than a quarter of online advertised jobs are in STEM occupations. Florida’s strong and growing job demand proves our employers are open for business.”

Job demand was highest in large cities, including Tampa, Miami, Orlando and Jacksonville. Among the top 25 cities in Florida, St. Augustine had the highest percentage gain in online job demand over-the-year, with job ads climbing 15.6 percent since April 2015.

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