While the jobless picture has been upbeat over the Summer in Florida, the state’s figure is still higher than the national rate.
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Florida’s unemployment rate has dropped for the third month in a row.
August’s jobless rate came in at 4.5%, down from July’s 4.6% and further down from June’s 4.7%, according to FloridaCommerce, the state’s economic development bureau. While the Florida jobless rate has been declining for a quarter of a year, the year-over-year comparison shows the latest rate is notably higher than in August 2025.
In that month, the unemployment rate was 0.5 percentage points lower at 4%. It’s an indicator that, before this Summer, unemployment rates in Florida had climbed every month since late 2024. The rate didn’t start dropping until after a peak of 4.8% in both April and May.
Some 502,000 Floridians are currently out of a job. That’s out of a labor force of 11.12 million people. The nonagricultural employment base was 10.05 million in August, up 21,800 jobs, or 0.2%, from July.
Florida gained 59,000 jobs in the annual comparison, representing a 0.6% uptick from August 2025.
While Florida’s unemployment rate trend is an upbeat development, it’s still substantially higher than the national figure, which came in at 4.1% in August, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Up until this year, Florida had seen lower monthly unemployment rates than the national mark for about five years in a row.
The decrease in the unemployment rate across Florida over the past three months aligns with trends in first-time claims. Most weeks through the Summer saw new jobless filings drop throughout the Summer months.
Six of the 10 major industries saw job gains in the year-over-year comparison, with education and health services leading the way, adding 39,600 jobs, a 0.9% increase for August. Professional and business services added 25,200 jobs, a 1.6% uptick, and the crucial leisure and hospitality industry added 11,600 jobs, a 0.9% increase.
There were a few industries that saw job declines, including financial activities, which lost 14,300 positions since last year for a 2.1% decrease. Government jobs fell by 4,900 (0.4%), and information jobs fell by 3,900 (2.6%).
Miami-Dade County posted Florida’s lowest unemployment rate in August at 2.7% while Taylor County had the highest figure at 8.2%.
The post Florida’s unemployment rate slips 3 months in a row, falling to 4.5% in August appeared first on Florida Politics – Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..
