The unemployment rate in the CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion region was 3.9% in June, which is up 0.5 percentage points over the month but the same as the region’s rate from a year ago.
According to preliminary employment data released by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, the labor force expanded to 221,863 in May – an increase of 6,527 workers over the year.
In the tri-county region, a total of 213,313 residents were employed, which is an increase of 355 over the month and up 6,402 compared to June 2022. In contrast, there were 8,550 unemployed residents, an increase of just over 1,000 from the previous month.
Levy County once again held the lowest unemployment rate in the region at 3.5%, followed by Marion County (3.7%) and Citrus County (4.4%). The jobless rate in Marion County increased by 0.4 percentage points compared to the rate in May 2023.
Rusty Skinner, CareerSource CLM’s chief executive officer, stated that the report shows that the region’s unemployment rates are “returning to more normal levels.”
“What we are witnessing is the impact of new entrants into the workforce,” added Skinner. “There are many graduates who are injecting our region with talent but have not secured a job yet. With the strong growth of open positions, the prospect for these new entrants is very positive.”
In the Ocala metropolitan statistical area, which includes all of Marion County, non-farm employment was 117,600 with 3,200 additional jobs in June – an increase of 2.8% over the year.
The Ocala MSA led all metros statewide with the fastest annual job growth rate in Financial Activities (+4.8%), Government (+6.7%), and Other Services (+3.1%).
In addition, the following industries in the Ocala MSA gained jobs: Education and Health Services; Trade, Transportation, and Utilities; Leisure and Hospitality; and Professional and Business Services. Two industries (Manufacturing and Mining, Logging, and Construction) lost jobs, and the number of jobs in the Information industry remained unchanged.
Skinner highlighted that CareerSource CLM offers a variety of ways to help new job seekers transition into gainful employment, such as paid internships, work experience, and hiring events and job fairs.
The Citrus County Job Fair is set for Thursday, August 31, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Realtor’s Association of Citrus County (714 S Scarboro Avenue in Lecanto). This hiring event is free to attend and open to the public, though registration is required.
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).