Florida leads U.S. in job growth
In September Florida led the
nation in job growth and posted its lowest unemployment
rate ever
Fueled by strong gains in South Florida, the state is
leading the nation in job growth.
Adding another 277,700 jobs in September, Florida's
supercharged economy also posted a 3.5 percent
unemployment rate for the month, a record low.
The state also ranked No. 1 in the nation for the number
of new jobs added in August and posted the fastest job
growth rate -- 3.4 percent -- of the 10 most populous
states, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers
released Friday by the Florida Agency for Workforce
Innovation.
''It's just more good news for Florida's workers. There
are certainly opportunities out there for people who are
entering the workforce for the first time or are looking
to move up in the workforce,'' said agency spokesman
Warren May.
South Florida pulled ahead of other regions.
The Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Miami Beach Metropolitan
Statistical Area led the state in year-over-year
employment gains in September, adding 71,500 jobs, an
increase of 3.1 percent, according to the agency
numbers. Miami-Dade County's unemployment rate was 4.3
percent.
Broward County's unemployment rate hit a new low of 3.5
percent, down from 4.5 percent last year and 3.6 percent
last month. Most economists consider any figure below 4
percent to be full employment.
''I am just amazed that we have folks here that are not
employed,'' said Rick Beasley, executive director of
South Florida Workforce, a public-private partnership
that uses federal funds to try to match employees to
jobs throughout the state.
Beasley said that the potential advance of Hurricane
Wilma had scuttled plans for a Monday meeting with
construction companies and county and city leaders in
Miami-Dade to try to draw up a plan to prepare for the
growing demand for construction workers in the building
boom.
''The city of Miami has about 78,000 units being
built,'' Beasley said. ``We have a lot of jobs that are
going to be available. How do we develop a program?
There is a lot of economic growth in Florida, and we are
looking at how to prepare for that.''
Besides construction, Beasley mentioned demand for
workers in the healthcare and the garment industry. Just
this past week, the agency helped a hearing-impaired
worker find a job in a garment company, in just one
afternoon.
The September unemployment rate for Florida was little
changed from August, when it was 3.6 percent. But the
3.5 percent rate was down 1.3 percentage points from a
year ago, showing the economy continues to pick up
steam.
Florida's September unemployment rate was also lower
than the national average, 5.1 percent. Florida's
numbers were even more impressive given the poor showing
in other parts of the United States, particularly
Louisiana where the affects of Hurricane Katrina
triggered a plunge of 13 percentage points in its
unemployment rate.
In September, 22 states lost jobs in September, and 20
states lost jobs in the past two month period, according
to the seasonally adjusted job gains and losses that are
federally compiled.
''Florida, like Nevada and Arizona, is doing well
because you are concentrated on consumer services --
healthcare is important -- and leisure entertainment,
restaurants, bars and hotels,'' said Charles W.
McMillion, president and chief economist of MBG
Information Services in Washington.
''You have a port so there are warehouses and shipping
and you import a lot,'' McMillion said. ``That is the
secret, Florida is concentrated in industries that don't
compete with imports. |