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


May 19, 2017



TAMPA, Fla. — Governor Rick Scott announced today that the Tampa area added 31,800 new private-sector jobs over the year in April. The Tampa area’s unemployment rate was 3.8 percent, down 0.6 percentage point from one year ago. Statewide, Florida businesses created 15,000 new jobs in April and the unemployment rate dropped to 4.5 percent, the lowest since November 2007. Since December 2010, Florida businesses have created 1,355,700 new private-sector jobs.

Governor Scott said, “It is great news that Tampa area businesses created nearly 32,000 jobs over the year in April. The Tampa area also led the state in job openings, which means there are thousands of opportunities for Floridians to find the opportunities they need to succeed in Tampa Bay. We will keep fighting to make Tampa, and our entire state, a top destination for job growth.”

The industries with the most job growth over the year in the Tampa area were professional and business services with 9,300 new jobs and construction with 8,900 new jobs. The Tampa area remained as first among the state metro areas in job demand in April with 47,412 openings. The Tampa area also continues to rank first in the state in demand for high-skill, high-wage STEM occupations with 14,898 openings in April.

For 61 consecutive months, Florida’s annual job growth rate of 2.9 percent is exceeding the nation’s rate of 1.7 percent. More than 19,033 Floridians were placed in jobs by CareerSource Tampa Bay and the state’s other 23 regional workforce boards.

To view the April 2017 employment data visit www.floridajobs.org/labor-market-information/labor-market-information-press-releases/monthly-press-releases.

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