One sign of improved economic conditions for workers is that 404,000 Floridians in March quit jobs , 97,000 more than in February and 167,000 more than a year earlier , Adrienne Johnston , the department ’ s chief economist , said in a conference call with reporters .
“ It ’ s not people moving out of the labor force . It ’ s not people who are discouraged . It ’ s people who are actually encouraged ,” Johnston said . “ They feel that there are opportunities to find other work and perhaps improve their career .”
The new report also showed that over the past year the leisure and hospitality industry , which took the biggest hit from the pandemic , gained 152,300 jobs .
Johnston noted the hospitality sector is below where it was before the pandemic . But record tourism in the first quarter of 2022 offered positive signs for the industry , Johnston added .
“ We know that the industry overall is performing very well and that there ’ s a lot of productivity in that industry ,” Johnston said . “ We just haven ’ t quite gotten back to where we were with jobs , but we continue to make progress in that area .” financial activities at 40,800 jobs .
The state also reported growth over the past year in jobs in manufacturing , construction and education and health services .
The tourism-heavy Orlando-Kissimmee- Sanford metro area added the most jobs in the past year , up 103,000 , according to the department .
The lowest unemployment rates last month were in the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin and Naples-Immokalee- Marco Island regions , both at 1.9 percent .
Among large metro areas , the Jacksonville region was at 2.2 percent , the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach region was at 2.5 percent , and the Orlando-Kissimmee- Sanford region was at 2.6 percent .
The Sebring area had the highest rate at 3.5 percent , followed by Homosassa Springs at 3.3 percent and The Villages at 3.0 percent .
The statewide unemployment rate is seasonally adjusted , while the regional rates are not adjusted .
After leisure and hospitality , sectors involved with trade , transportation and utilities have done the second best in adding jobs over the past year , up 118,400 positions , followed by professional and business services at 102,100 jobs and
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