LOCAL UNEMPLOYMENT RATE CONTINUES TO DECLINE
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – CareerSource Capital Region CEO Jim McShane announced today that Gadsden, Leon and Wakulla counties combined unemployment rate dropped to 4.2 percent in May, according to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. The Tallahassee metro area had the fastest annual job growth rate compared to all the metro areas in the state in leisure and hospitality (+9.0 percent) in May 2016.
“We are proud to work with local employers and career seekers to help them meet their talent and workforce needs,” McShane said. “Many times, talented individuals may be overlooked by employers, and it’s our role to help shine a light on the skills people have that will help them to quickly become employed. On June 29th, we are recruiting individuals who have been laid off or have been unemployed for more than six months for our iSTEP program which will quickly propel them into a situation where they can get paid for working.”
The Department of Economic Opportunity also provided more positive economic indicators for the Tallahassee Metropolitan Statistical Area (Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon and Wakulla counties), including:
- Wakulla County had the lowest unemployment rate (3.7 percent) in the CareerSource Capital Region followed by Leon County (4.0 percent), and Gadsden County (5.8 percent).
- In May 2016 nonagricultural employment in the Tallahassee MSA was 175,100, an increase of 4,200 jobs (+2.5 percent) over the year.
- Out of a labor force of 179,787 there were 7,485 unemployed residents in the region.
- The industries gaining in jobs over the year were: leisure and hospitality (+1,600 jobs); professional and business services (+1,300 jobs); trade, transportation, and utilities (+400 jobs); education and health services (+400 jobs); mining, logging, and construction (+300 jobs); government (+300 jobs); financial activities (+200 jobs); and other services (+100 jobs).
To learn more about CareerSource Capital Region’s services that are provided at no-cost to both employers and job seekers, call 844-CAREER1 or visit www.careersourcecapitalregion.com.