from the Orlando Business Journal
Florida had the fastest job growth rate in the nation, the Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation says in its September report.Florida also had the lowest unemployment rate of the 10 most populous states and added the highest number of new jobs in the country.The state’s unemployment rate of 3.2 percent continues to be under the national average of 4.6 percent. The rate was down 0.3 percent from September 2005. More…Florida’s unemployment rate has been below the national average since mid-2002.
The Sunshine State added 230,500 jobs since September 2005. Professional and business services and leisure and hospitality accounted for 41.8 percent of the new jobs in the state over the year. All of Florida’s major industry sectors added jobs over the year, except manufacturing, which lost 1,700 jobs.
Professional and business services led Florida’s industry sectors in employment growth over the year, adding 62,800 jobs (+4.7 percent). Employment services (+27,900 jobs, +5.9 percent) continued to lead job growth in this industry sector.
Leisure and hospitality, gaining second-highest number of new jobs, continued to exhibit steady over-the-year job gains (+32,400 jobs, +3.7 percent). That industry has exhibited positive growth since mid-2002. Most of the job gains were in food services and drinking places (+22,600 jobs, +4.1 percent).
The construction industry was the third-highest in number of new jobs and was the fastest-growing industry in the state. The industry continued to exhibit strong growth over the year (+32,300 jobs, +5.5 percent), with 76 percent of the job gains in specialty trade contractors (+24,600 jobs, +6.3 percent).
Heavy and civil engineering construction (+4,700, +6.8 percent) was the fastest-growing subsector in the construction industry. The job growth rate in construction of buildings peaked at more than 18 percent in late 2004, but has slowed to a rate of 2.3 percent, reflecting a leveling off of the housing market, the release says.
The education and health services sector ranked fourth and grew by 32,100 jobs (+3.4 percent) over the year. Health care and social assistance added the most jobs (+27,900 jobs, +3.4 percent) in this industry sector.
The strongest growth within health care and social assistance was in ambulatory health care services (+11,800 jobs, +3.5 percent). Health care and social assistance has been growing steadily since the period of slow growth in 1999.
