Tallahassee, FL – Local unemployment continues on a yo-yo pattern.
The latest report from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity shows Volusia’s unemployment rate at 5.8% for last month. That’s 1/5th of a point below the 6% posted for last July and 1.2% below August 2014’s rate.
Flagler posted a 6.3% unemployment rate for August 2015. That’s 3/10ths under the 6.6% posted for July 2015 and nearly 2 full points under the 7.9% for August 2014.
The rise and fall pattern established for July and August, respectively, has been going on for some time locally. The unemployment rate in both counties fell slightly in June, rose slightly in May and also fell in April.
Volusia’s current rate of 5.8% is tied for 30th highest in Florida with the counties of Jackson, Pasco and Washington. Flagler’s is tied for 20th with Calhoun and Miami-Dade counties.
In terms of metro area, Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach-Palm Coast came in at 5.9%, tied for 10th highest in the state with Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville.
FDEO stats show that unemployment in Volusia is at its lowest point since April 2008 and the lowest it’s been in Flagler since May 2007.
Unemployed worker numbers in Volusia fell by 3,175 between last month and the August prior, according to CareerSource Flagler Volusia. Flagler’s unemployed worker numbers fell by 745 during that same time period.
The number of local jobs has also risen in the past year, with total non-agricultural employment in both counties up by 4,100.
Jobs in education and health services (+5.9%), manufacturing (+2.9%) and
government (+2.2%) grew faster locally than the state average.
7 of the 10 major industries in Volusia gained jobs over the year, led by education and health services (+2,100 jobs). Also gaining was trade, transportation, and utilities (+500 jobs); professional and business services (+500 jobs); leisure and hospitality (+400 jobs); manufacturing (+300 jobs) and financial activities (+200 jobs).
The only industries losing jobs locally over the past year were mining, logging, and construction (-200 jobs); information (-100 jobs) and other services (-100 jobs).
Florida’s unemployment rate fell to 5.6% last month, a 1.1% drop compared to August 2014. The national unemployment rate also dropped to 5.2% in August 2015, another 1.1% drop compared to August 2014.
Copyright 2015 Southern Stone Communications.