DeLand, FL – Volusia’s job market continues to show signs of improvement, even though unemployment numbers have gone up-and-down at the city level over the past 2 months.
A new county economic report shows Volusia’s unemployment rate for the 2nd quarter of 2015 is 5.8%, nearly a full point lower than the 6.6% posted for that same 3-month period in 2014.
The same report also shows a slight drop in Volusia’s unemployed (-2,038) and overall labor force (-1,602) compared to the 2nd quarter of 2014.
Education & health services (+1,967) led the way in job growth in Volusia between April and June of this year, with professional & business services (+1,300) the only other job category to grow by over 1,000 jobs during that same time period.
Port Orange led the way for Volusia at the city level in terms of unemployment, posting a 4.8% rate for the 2nd quarter of 2015. Ormond Beach was 2nd at 5% while DeLand’s 5.9% was the only other under 6% locally for cities with populations of 25,000 or more. Daytona Beach’s 6.7% was the highest. Deltona came in at 6.2%.
Having said that, almost every major city in Volusia did drop its unemployment rate significantly compared to the 2nd quarter of 2014, with most falling around a point. DeLand was the lone exception, coming in at 6.1%.
Residential permit construction nearly doubled the second quarter of 2015 compared to the first, with the report showing 398 permits filed for $121 million. The first 3 months of 2015 had 265 permits filed for $80 million. The 2nd quarter of 2014 had 280 permits filed for $91 million.
DeLand led the way in residential permits in both numbers (110) and dollar value ($33.7 million). New Smyrna Beach was second with 63 permits filed for $20.9 million while Daytona Beach came in 3rd with 52 permits filed for $13.2 million.
Commercial construction permits dropped in Volusia between April and June of this year, with just 17 filed for $27 million. 26 permits woth $50 million were filed between January and March of this year. Only 12 permits were filed in the 2nd quarter of 2014 for $9 million.
DeLand again led the way in commercial permits, getting 4 for nearly $7.2 million. Deltona only had 2 permits, but those were worth almost $7.5 million combined.
Foreclosure home sales in Volusia outpaced the number of homes going into foreclosure again during the second quarter of 2015, with nearly 800 homes sold compared to around 500 foreclosed.
Having said that, both the number of foreclosed home sales and homes foreclosed are lower compared to the same time period in 2014, when 1,000 homes sold and nearly 600 were foreclosed.
Click here for the full report.
Copyright 2015 Southern Stone Communications.