TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that Florida’s unemployment rate dropped to 2.5 percent during September – the second lowest rate in the state’s recorded history and the lowest rate since October 2006.
Florida also had the second fastest gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the nation. GDP grew at an annual rate of 1.6 percent in the second quarter of 2022, while the national GDP declined for two consecutive quarters.
FLORIDA’S GROWING ECONOMY
Florida’s economy has remained strong post-pandemic as private sector employment increased by an additional 47,500 jobs in September 2022. The Sunshine State’s labor force also grew by 3 percent this past year – an entire percentage point faster than the national labor force growth rate of 2.0 percent.
“Florida’s economy continues to outpace the national average – Floridians are finding jobs, and our state’s businesses are thriving. As we continue to support Southwest Florida communities in their recovery from Hurricane Ian, a resilient economy is paramount,” said Governor DeSantis. “With inflation still surging due to federal policies and with Southwest Florida recovering from Hurricane Ian, Florida has maintained sound fiscal and economic policies that will help us mitigate these challenges.”
Over the year, total private sector employment grew by 461,500 jobs (+5.8 percent), 1.4 percentage points faster than the national rate of 4.4 percent. Florida employers have added jobs for 29 consecutive months through September 2022, and Florida’s over-the-year private sector job growth rate has exceeded the nationwide figures for 18 straight months since April 2021.
“Leadership matters – Florida’s economy is strong, resilient, and positioned for continued success because of Governor DeSantis’ decisive leadership,” said DEO Secretary Dane Eagle. “Florida didn’t get lucky. Instead of locking people down during the pandemic, Governor DeSantis lifted people up, and we are seeing the impacts of this direction nationally.”
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Many job opportunities are available for Floridians throughout the state. An online search shows more than 464,000 jobs available in the state. In addition, Floridians searching for work and new job opportunities are encouraged to turn to the CareerSource Florida network for help and guidance on registering with Employ Florida and search listings of available local job openings.
To view the September 2022 jobs reports by region, select a link below:
View the complete September 2022 employment data here.
Visit Florida Insight for more information on the labor market and economic data.
