There were 9,286 unemployed residents in the CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion region in August, an increase of 375 residents compared to the previous month and nearly 1,100 more than a year ago.
In the tri-county region, the jobless rate (4.1%) saw a slight uptick of 0.1 percentage points in August, and it was 0.3 percentage points higher than the area’s rate a year ago. At 224,521, the labor force expanded by nearly 8,600 over the year.
According to preliminary employment data released last week by the Florida Department of Commerce (formerly the Department of Economic Opportunity), there were 215,235 residents employed across the three-county area, an increase of 2,506 over the month and 7,498 more than in August 2022.
Levy and Marion counties were tied with an unemployment rate of 3.9% in August, and the jobless rate in Citrus County rose by 0.2 percentage points to 4.8%.
In Levy County, 692 residents were unemployed last month, a slight increase of 21 from July. A total of 17,005 residents were employed.
There were 6,075 unemployed residents in Marion County in August, an increase of 194. There were 147,783 employed residents, which is up by 511 compared to the previous month.
A total of 2,519 Citrus County residents were out of work in August, up from 160, though employment rose by 1,715 to 50,447.
Florida’s not seasonally adjusted jobless rate, which matches how the county rates are measured, held steady at 3.1% in August.
Dale French, CareerSource CLM’s executive vice president, stated that while there was a small jump in jobless numbers, there were much larger increases in the labor force and labor force participation.
“What we are seeing is a large increase in workers moving to the area and re-engagement of workers that may have been on the sidelines looking for better opportunities,” said French. “This is great news for local businesses that are in need of talent. Now is definitely a great time for anyone looking at re-entering the workforce or simply seeking a better opportunity.”
French added that one such opportunity is the regional fall job fair that will be held on September 27, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the College of Central’s Florida’s Klein Conference Center in Ocala.
The fee-free event is open to any job seeker in the tri-county region. To date, 30 businesses – all with immediate jobs to fill – plan to attend. Additional information, including a list of the participating businesses, can be viewed on the Marion County Job Fair webpage.
In the Ocala metropolitan statistical area, which includes all of Marion County, non-farm employment was 118,400 last month, an increase of 1,900 jobs over the year.
For the second consecutive month, the Ocala MSA tied for the highest and fastest annual job growth compared to all the metro areas in the state in Information, even though the number of jobs remained unchanged over the year. Additionally, Government and Other Services sectors grew as fast or faster in the metro area than elsewhere in the state.
The following industries in the Ocala metropolitan statistical area gained jobs: Government; Education and Health Services; Trade, Transportation, and Utilities; and Other Services.
Several industries (Financial Activities, Information, Leisure and Hospitality, and Professional Services) were unchanged in the number of jobs compared to August 2022. The Mining, Logging and Construction, and Manufacturing industries lost jobs.
For more information about job fairs, hiring events, and other candidate and business services, visit the CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion website or call 1-800-434-JOBS (5627).