TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DE0) announced Florida businesses gained 185,700 private sector jobs over the month and Florida’s labor force climbed 2.5 percent over the month, which suggests that Floridians are confident and searching for work.   The unemployment rate for May 2020 was 14.5 percent.

This month, Florida saw considerable changes in employment data due to COVID-19. Governor DeSantis has been proactive in safely reopening the state to protect Floridians while restarting  Florida’s economy and opening businesses. Statistics show Floridians are beginning to search for work and businesses are creating jobs.

Florida Economic Indicators for May 2020 include:

• Labor force was up 237,000 or 2.5 percent, over the month.
• Florida businesses gained 185,700 private-sector jobs over the month.

• Consumer Sentiment Index is 76.4 in May 2020, 0.1 point higher than the April revised figure of 76.3.

• Florida private-sector jobs were down 834,900 over the year.
• Florida’s private-sector job creation over-the-year rate of decline of 10.7 percent was less than the national over-the-year decline of 12.7 percent.
• Unemployment rate was 14.5 percent.

To view the May 2020 jobs report by region, please see below:

Fort Lauderdale
Jacksonville
Miami
Orlando
Pensacola
Southwest Florida
Tampa
West Palm Beach

To view the May 2020 employment data visit www.floridajobs.org/labor-market-information/labor-market-information-press-releases/monthly-press-releases.

To watch the Economic Data Release teleconference, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUw1NzhjlvU&feature=youtu.be

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