Marion County workforce: April unemployment rate was 2.8%, down from March's 3.1%

Joe Callahan, Ocala Star-Banner
·4 min read

Marion County's unadjusted unemployment rate dropped to 2.8% in April, down 2.3 percentage points in one year, according to the state's latest jobs report, which was released on Friday.

Marion's labor force grew by 1,964 and the number of people who are employed increased by 5,216 in one year. The labor force in Marion County in April was 142,569, down 25 since March. The labor force was 140,605 a year ago.

April 2021: Marion unemployment rate plunges from 12.6% in 2020 to 5.4% this year

January 2022: January unemployment rate was 4.1%, up from December's 4.0%

December 2021: Where are Marion's workers? More than half of Florida workers ages 18-64 do not have jobs

The number of people employed in April was 138,599, up 585 since March and up 5,216 since April 2021. The number of people unemployed was 3,970 in April, down 466 since March and down 3,282 in one year.

A look at the region

The unemployment rate in the CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion region was 2.9% in April, down 2.5 percentage points in one year. The region's rate was 3.1% in March.

Across the three-county region, the labor force in April 2022 was 206,790, down 147 in one month. The number of the region's unemployed was 5,977, down 742 from the previous month.

The data comes from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity's monthly jobs report. The March report was released on Friday and the May report will be released on June 17.

In the tri-county region, Levy County had the lowest jobless rate at 2.6%, down 1.9 percentage points in one year. Citrus County's rate was 3.3%, down 2.5 percentage points since April 2021.

Citrus County was tied with Hendry and Osceola counties with the fourth highest rate. Marion County was tied with Madison County for the eighth highest rate, while Levy was tied with many counties for 10th highest.

Construction worker Steven Nilsen with Quality Framing cuts siding for a new home being built in Woodfield Crossings late last year.
Construction worker Steven Nilsen with Quality Framing cuts siding for a new home being built in Woodfield Crossings late last year.

Putnam had the highest rate of all counties in Florida at 3.9% and Monroe had the lowest rate at 1.5%.

Florida’s unadjusted April unemployment rate was 2.4%, down 0.3 percentage points since March and down 2.5 percentage points from April 2021.

Florida’s seasonally adjusted total nonagricultural employment was 9.3 million in April 2022, an increase of 58,600 jobs (a 0.6% increase) since March.

The state gained 517,100 jobs year over year, an increase of 5.9%. Nationally, the number of jobs rose 4.6% in one year.

Florida has more than gained back all the jobs lost (1.28 million) from February to April 2020. Since April 2020, Florida has gained back 1.5 million jobs.

Local jobs expert says unemployment at historic lows

Rusty Skinner, CareerSource CLM’s chief executive officer, noted in a press release that unemployment rates in each county are historically low and “provide opportunities to find jobs and even new careers.”

Skinner said that CareerSource CLM offers financial support for training to those interested in changing careers as well as upgrading skills, according to a press release.

For employers, Skinner noted that “this time of year offers a unique opportunity to connect with recent graduates to fill their positions.”

AWK Construction employees put together pipe fittings while preparing to install a water and sewer main in early April.
AWK Construction employees put together pipe fittings while preparing to install a water and sewer main in early April.

“We have recently held job fairs in all three counties for young high school graduates seeking employment,” Skinner said. “College students are also returning for their summer breaks and graduates are lining up their future careers. Reaching out to these new entrants into the workforce is an excellent source for the long-term growth of a company’s workforce.”

Skinner said that employers could reach out "to these new entrants into the workforce is an excellent source for the long-term growth of a company’s workforce.”

Skinner added that CareerSource CLM offers a variety of "fee-free support services for both job seekers and employers," the release noted.

“Job seekers are encouraged to visit one of career centers and employers should contact us to speak to a business services representative,” he noted.

Joe Callahan can be reached at (352) 817-1750 or at joe.callahan@starbanner.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeOcalaNews.

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Unemployment rate in Marion County, Florida was 2.8% in April