St. Lucie County has a lot to celebrate on the jobs front. The last Florida Department of Economic Opportunity jobs report for the year is enough to pop the corks over.
As St. Lucie headed into the Christmas season, unemployment was at 4.6 percent, not seasonally adjusted, in the November report. The year before, it was at 5.5 percent. The state was at 3.8 and the nation 3.9 percent not seasonally adjusted in November.
The county’s jobless rate edged up slightly from October to November, going form 4.2 percent unemployment to 4.6. While the nation held steady at 3.9, Florida also saw a slight increase in the jobless rate, going from 3.6 percent to 3.8 percent.
St. Lucie and Martin counties form the Port St. Lucie Metropolitan Statistical area, one of 24 in Florida. The area had about 148,000 non-agricultural jobs in November, up about 1,500 over the year. From November 2015 to 2016, the area gained about 2,000 jobs.
From November last year to November this year, the industry sector that gained the most jobs in the area was education and health service, with 1,300. Manufacturing picked up 800, while trade, transportation and utilities added 500. Other industries with job gains were mining, logging and construction with 300; other services – which is a catch bag for various occupations such as auto mechanics – added 200. Financial services added about 100.
The industry sectors that lost the most jobs were leisure and hospitality, and government. Both lost 600 jobs in the two counties.
Additionally, professional and business services shed 400 jobs, and information 100. The hurricane season likely contributed greatly to the losses in leisure and hospitality.
St. Lucie County added about 500 in the workforce from November 2016 to 2017, from about 136,000 to 136,500. At the same time, it increased the number employed from 128,500 to 130,300.
Nationally, the work force participation rate in November was 62.7 percent, which was unchanged from October. In November 2016 the rate was 62.6.
