Gov. Scott: Tampa Area Added 32,000 New Jobs Over the Year

October 21, 2016

    TAMPA, Fla. / Governor Rick Scott announced today that the Tampa area added 32,000 new private-sector jobs over the year in September. The Tampa area’s unemployment rate was 4.7 percent, down 0.2 percentage point in the last year. Florida businesses created 17,900 private-sector jobs across the state during September 2016, bringing the total number of jobs created since December 2010 to 1,222,500 jobs.   Governor Scott said, “Tampa-area businesses continue to be some of the top job creators in Florida, adding 32,000 new private-sector jobs in the last year. Tampa also leads the state in job openings, with more than 47,000 openings available for families. That is great news because more Floridians are finding the opportunities they need to succeed in the Tampa Bay area.”   The industries with the largest job gains over the year in the Tampa area were professional and business services with 8,500 new jobs; education and health services with 6,800 new jobs; and leisure and hospitality with 6,100 new jobs. The Tampa area continues to rank first among the state metro areas in job demand in September with 47,267 openings. The Tampa area also remained first in the state in demand for high-skill, high-wage STEM occupations with 15,199 openings in September.   Florida’s statewide unemployment rate remained at 4.7 percent, the lowest rate since November 2007. For the 54th consecutive month, Florida’s annual job growth rate of 3.6 percent is also exceeding the nation’s rate of 1.9 percent. More than 32,000 Floridians were placed in jobs by CareerSource Tampa Bay and the state’s other 23 regional workforce boards.   To view the September 2016 employment data visit www.floridajobs.org/labor-market-information/labor-market-information-press-releases/monthly-press-releases.