Unemployment crept up in St. Lucie County from July to August, but that’s most likely going to reverse now that the temperature is cooling down.
“We are going back into (tourist) season,” said Tonya Woodworth, communications manager at CareerSource Research Coast. “They’re doing more hiring for in-season jobs now that summer is gone.”
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity recently released its monthly employment report for August. The non-agricultural, not-seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for St. Lucie went from 4.3 percent in July to 4.4 percent in August. In August last year the county was at a 4.5 percent not-seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate.
The county started 2019 with a 4.7 percent non-agriculture not-seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate in January. By February it had inched down to 4.2. Then in March, the unemployment rate dipped to 3.9 percent. April had the best number so far this year – a 3.5 percent unemployment rate.
In May that rose to 3.8 percent, which was the start of the annual summertime employment dip on the Treasure Coast. In June the not-seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate crossed back into the 4s – 4.3 percent. Then it held steady into July.
Even with the slight increases in the unemployment rate, Woodworth said all indications are local workers see things one way: “(The) unemployment rate is way low.”
CareerSource hosted a job fair in Fort Pierce on Sept. 20. In all 13 employers were on hand for the rescheduled fair. It was planned for Sept. 6, but Hurricane Dorian preparations forced cancellation and rescheduling.
Still, 354 workers showed up with resumes. Woodworth said there was a trend among the workers – many are already employed.
“We are finding job seekers that are currently employed and looking for better opportunities,” she said.
Meaning local employers are still finding they need to retain talent in addition to attracting it.
Taken together, St. Lucie and Martin counties make up the Port St. Lucie Metropolitan Statistical Area. In August the MSA had about 155,900 jobs, up 5,400 from 2018. Every industry sector gained jobs in the August-to-August comparison except information.
The largest gain in numbers was the professional and business services, with 1,500 jobs. Mining, logging and construction followed in numbers, 1,200, but was the largest gainer by percentage of new jobs, a 10.3 percent increase in positions over the previous August. Education and health services picked up 900 positions August to August. Leisure and hospitality, 700; manufacturing gained 400. Government added 300 positions, while financial activities put on 200. Trade, transportation, and utilities gained 100 jobs, as did other services, which include things such as automobile mechanics.
The next large job fair will be the statewide Paychecks for Patriots veterans-preference hiring event, on Nov. 7. Local organizers were in early planning at press time. The Florida Department of Veteran Affairs, Florida National Guard and Department of Economic Opportunity started Paychecks for Patriots in 2012. At the time, younger veterans had above-average unemployment rates nationally and statewide.
Over the last seven years that trend reversed, so the Paychecks for Patriots are now open to all job seekers, but veterans and close family members get to see the employers before others.
The national and state unemployment rates are calculated using a variety of methods. Among them are telephone interviews with workers. Those that are able to work and report not having jobs, but looked for employment in the previous 30 days, are counted as unemployed.
Discouraged workers – those who are able to work and want jobs, but have not sought employment in the previous 30 days – are not counted in the unemployment figure. Many call this “shadow unemployment,” and it’s inherently difficult to track due to variations for why people don’t seek jobs.