Florida's unemployment rate is the highest it's been in over 4 years
By Jim Turner - News Service of Florida
January 8, 2026 at 5:00 AM EST
While still considered just above “full employment” by state economists, the November rate was up from 3.5% a year earlier.
Florida’s unemployment rate jumped to 4.2% in November, the highest rate for the state in more than four years.
While still considered just above “full employment” by state economists, the November rate was up from 3.5% a year earlier and represented 466,000 people qualified as unemployed from a workforce or about 11.2 million.
It also was up from 3.9% in September. The state did not release October numbers because of what it described as a “lapse in federal data collection activities” related to the fall government shutdown.
Florida’s jobless rate was last above 4% in September 2021, when it was 4.1%. At the time, the state was recovering from the initial economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which spiked unemployment to 14.8% in April 2020.
The national unemployment rate in November was 4.6%, up from 4.4% in September. The national rate in November 2024 was 4.2%.
From November 2024 to November 2025, employment in Florida’s construction industry was down by 4,600 jobs, according to Wednesday’s report by the Florida Department of Commerce. Manufacturing employment was down 1,700 jobs over the year.
But employment in the broad category of education and health services increased by 49,000 jobs over the year, followed by 18,300 jobs in the category of trade, transportation, and utilities.
Government employment in Florida added a net of 5,200 jobs over the year, with gains in local government but a drop in federal jobs.
Among the state’s metropolitan statistical areas, the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metropolitan statistical area had the lowest rate in November at 4.1%, up from 2.9% a year earlier.
The overall 4.2% state rate is seasonally adjusted, while the rates for metro areas are not adjusted.
Other unadjusted rates in November included 4.8% in the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford area and 5% in the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater areas.
The Jacksonville area was at 5.1%, the Naples-Marco Island area was at 5.2%, the Panama City-Panama City Beach area was at 5.3%, and the Tallahassee and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville areas were at 5.4%.
The Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent and North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota areas were at 5.5%. The Port St. Lucie area was at 5.6%, while the Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach and Gainesville areas were at 5.8%. The Lakeland-Winter Haven area was at 6%.
The highest rate in the state was in The Villages and Wildwood area at 8.9%, followed by the Homosassa Springs area at 7.5% and the Sebring area at 7.3%. The Ocala and Punta Gorda areas were at 6.3%, while the Sebastian-Vero Beach area was at 6.2%.
The unemployment figures didn’t include more than 3,600 layoff notifications submitted to the Department of Commerce since the start of November.
Most of the layoffs in the notifications, such as 1,400 people being let go from Kroger Fulfillment Network LLC centers in Tampa, Groveland and Jacksonville, are expected to occur in 2026.
The notifications also included 500 people being let go during the first half of 2026 as Frito-Lay, Inc. closes a pair of manufacturing facilities in Orlando and 255 layoffs starting in February as Ideal Image Development Corp. closes a corporate office in Tampa.
While still considered just above “full employment” by state economists, the November rate was up from 3.5% a year earlier and represented 466,000 people qualified as unemployed from a workforce or about 11.2 million.
It also was up from 3.9% in September. The state did not release October numbers because of what it described as a “lapse in federal data collection activities” related to the fall government shutdown.
Florida’s jobless rate was last above 4% in September 2021, when it was 4.1%. At the time, the state was recovering from the initial economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which spiked unemployment to 14.8% in April 2020.
The national unemployment rate in November was 4.6%, up from 4.4% in September. The national rate in November 2024 was 4.2%.
From November 2024 to November 2025, employment in Florida’s construction industry was down by 4,600 jobs, according to Wednesday’s report by the Florida Department of Commerce. Manufacturing employment was down 1,700 jobs over the year.
But employment in the broad category of education and health services increased by 49,000 jobs over the year, followed by 18,300 jobs in the category of trade, transportation, and utilities.
Government employment in Florida added a net of 5,200 jobs over the year, with gains in local government but a drop in federal jobs.
Among the state’s metropolitan statistical areas, the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metropolitan statistical area had the lowest rate in November at 4.1%, up from 2.9% a year earlier.
The overall 4.2% state rate is seasonally adjusted, while the rates for metro areas are not adjusted.
Other unadjusted rates in November included 4.8% in the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford area and 5% in the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater areas.
The Jacksonville area was at 5.1%, the Naples-Marco Island area was at 5.2%, the Panama City-Panama City Beach area was at 5.3%, and the Tallahassee and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville areas were at 5.4%.
The Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent and North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota areas were at 5.5%. The Port St. Lucie area was at 5.6%, while the Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach and Gainesville areas were at 5.8%. The Lakeland-Winter Haven area was at 6%.
The highest rate in the state was in The Villages and Wildwood area at 8.9%, followed by the Homosassa Springs area at 7.5% and the Sebring area at 7.3%. The Ocala and Punta Gorda areas were at 6.3%, while the Sebastian-Vero Beach area was at 6.2%.
The unemployment figures didn’t include more than 3,600 layoff notifications submitted to the Department of Commerce since the start of November.
Most of the layoffs in the notifications, such as 1,400 people being let go from Kroger Fulfillment Network LLC centers in Tampa, Groveland and Jacksonville, are expected to occur in 2026.
The notifications also included 500 people being let go during the first half of 2026 as Frito-Lay, Inc. closes a pair of manufacturing facilities in Orlando and 255 layoffs starting in February as Ideal Image Development Corp. closes a corporate office in Tampa.