Space Coast unemployment rate dips to record low. Here are 6 things to know
Brevard County's unemployment rate ended 2022 by matching a record low, new data from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity shows.
In addition, four of Brevard's largest cities set records for their lowest-ever unemployment rates on record.
That means job-seekers should have less difficulty finding positions. But Space Coast employers may have more challenges filling openings.
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Here are six things to know about the job picture in Brevard County and statewide.
What was Brevard's unemployment rate in December?
It was 2.2%, matching a record low set in April 2022. Modern-day records for county unemployment rates date back to 1991.
The rate was 2.6% in both November 2022 and December 2021.
For context, the rate rose to 12.4% in April 2020, as COVID-19-related layoffs were occurring. It was 2.7% in February 2020, just before the pandemic hit.
How does that compare with Florida's unemployment rate?
Florida's rate was 2.5% in December. It was 2.6% in November and 3.5% in December 2021. December's 2.5% rate matched rates set in September and from July through October 2006. The last time the statewide rate was lower was in June 2006, when it was 2.4%.
So how many people are employed and how many are looking for work in Brevard?
Employed: There were 295,642 employed people in Brevard County in December, up from 293,983 in November and 284,494 in December 2021.
Unemployed: There were 6,682 unemployed people actively looking for work in Brevard in December, down from 7,753 in November and 7,659 in December 2021.
What were the trends in job gains and losses in Brevard over the past year?
According to CareerSource Brevard, the industries gaining jobs over the year were manufacturing (+2,500 jobs); education and health services (+2,500 jobs); trade, transportation and utilities (+2,200 jobs); leisure and hospitality (+1,200 jobs); other services (+700 jobs); construction, mining and logging (+500 jobs); and financial activities (+300 jobs).
The information industry lost 100 jobs over the year.
The government sector and the professional and business services sector were unchanged in jobs over the year.
How are Brevard's major cities doing?
Melbourne. Palm Bay, Rockledge and Titusville all set record-low unemployment rates in December. Here are those rates:
The rates were 2.3% in Melbourne, 2.5% in Palm Bay, 1.8% in Rockledge and 2.4% in Titusville.
Data for Melbourne, Palm Bay and Titusville date back to 1991. Data for Rockledge dates back to 2011.
How does Brevard rank among state's 67 counties and 24 metropolitan areas?
Brevard's 2.2% rate was tied for 17th-lowest among Florida's 67 counties. It was tied for sixth-lowest among Florida's 24 metropolitan areas and divisions.
In December, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties had the state’s lowest unemployment rate (1.4% each), followed by St. Johns County (1.8%), and Okaloosa and Wakulla counties (1.9% each).
Highlands County had the highest unemployment rate (3.6%), followed by Citrus County (3.5%), and Sumter County (3.4%).
Contact Berman at dberman@floridatoday.com, on Twitter at @bydaveberman and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dave.berman.54.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Brevard jobs: Unemployment rate reaches record low
