TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity announced the Fort Myers area private-sector employment decreased by 22,900 jobs (-9.8 percent) over the year. The Fort Myers area’s unemployment rate was 14.0 percent in May, up 11.0 percentage points from one year ago. The Naples area private-sector employment decreased by 13,800 (-9.8 percent) over the year. The Naples area’s unemployment rate was 13.1 percent in May, up 10.3 percentage points from one year ago.

The industry losing the most jobs over the year in the Fort Myers area was leisure and hospitality (-15,100 jobs).   Professional and business services was the only major industry that gained jobs over the year in the Fort Myers area (+100 jobs).  The industry losing the most jobs over the year in the Naples area was leisure and hospitality (-8,300 jobs).  Three major industries were up over the year in the Naples area:  construction (+700 jobs); and manufacturing and government (+300 jobs each).

 
Statewide, the number of private-sector jobs increased 185,700, up 2.7 percent from April 2020. Florida’s unemployment rate increased to 14.5 percent in May 2020.  Florida’s labor force was up 237,000 over the month.

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

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