January jobless rate inches up slightly

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The unemployment rate in the tri-county region consisting of Marion, Citrus and Levy counties was 4.3% in January 2022—0.2 percentage point higher than the previous month, and 2.2 percentage points lower than the region’s year ago rate of 6.5%, according to a CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion (CLM) press release on March 14.

Across the region, the labor force was 207,742, up 3,276 over the year for an annual growth rate of 1.6%. The number of those with jobs was 198,841, an increase of 7,610 more than January 2021. The number of unemployed dropped by 1,187 in January 2022 compared to a year ago, for a total of 8,901. 

The January and subsequent February jobs reports reflect annual benchmarking conducted every March by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics and Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) to realign employment estimates as well as revise historical data. 

January 2022 employment data was released on Monday, March 14. February’s data will be released next Friday on March 25. 

Rusty Skinner, CEO of CareerSource CLM, noted that with the annual “recalibration” of data, it’s common to see shifts from numbers posted the previous December.

“While unemployment numbers increased in all counties, undoubtedly due to seasonal retail reductions,” said Skinner, “the number and rate of unemployed has declined [overall] from January 2021.”

“Despite these temporary blips,” he added, “our local economy is showing positive overall growth in employment.”

Marion County had the 12th highest unemployment rate in the State of Florida, up from 13th in December of 2021. Ocala was again the fifth highest amongst metro areas.

According to the March 14 release of preliminary employment numbers by the DEO, Marion County holds a jobless rate of 4.1%, up from 4.0% in December and down 2.2 percentage points from January 2021. 

Marion County’s labor force grew by 897 to 143,205; the number of those with jobs fell by 307 to 137,335; and the number of unemployed increased by 1,204 to 5,870. Compared to the same time last year, when the jobless rate was 6.3%, the labor force expanded by 2,335; the number of employed increased by 5,334; and the number of unemployed dropped to 2,999. 

Compared to all the metros across the state, the Ocala Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) posted the third fastest annual job growth rate in information at 20%, growing faster in the metro area than statewide. Trade, transportation and utilities, at 6.3%, also grew faster than statewide over the year.

In addition to information, which added 100 new jobs over the year, and trade, transportation and utilities, with 1,700 new jobs, industries gaining jobs over the year in the Ocala MSA were leisure and hospitality (+700 jobs); mining, logging and construction (+200 jobs); financial activities (+200 jobs); and other services (+100 jobs). Manufacturing and professional and business services industries were unchanged over the year.

Industries losing jobs compared to January 2021 include government (-300) and education and health services (-100 jobs). 

With the release of revised historical data, the DEO said that the State of Florida surpassed pre-pandemic total nonagricultural job growth in October 2021 and that the state’s labor force exceeded the pre-pandemic level set in June 2021, one month earlier than previously reported. 

The state initially estimated a 4.4% unemployment rate for December but dropped it to 3.5% on March 14, largely because of benchmarking revisions, indicating resurgence in most job sectors despite lingering impacts from the pandemic and mounting inflation. 

More importantly, the figures indicate the state has recaptured all 1.28 million jobs lost in early 2020. 

Adrienne Johnson, chief economist at the DEO, said the federal-driven revisions showed the state recovered quicker than previously reported, with the state now below the federal unemployment rate for 14 consecutive months.

“We continue to see positive growth across all industries,” Johnston said. “It seems like people are highly encouraged to engage back into the labor force. So, overall, things are very positive. The outlook is looking good for Florida.” 

Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.5% in January 2022, unchanged from the revised December 2021 rate, and down 2.5% points from a year ago. Florida’s seasonally adjusted total nonagricultural employment was 9,163,800, an increase of 25,300 jobs (+0.3%) over the month. 

Unemployment rates rose in all of Florida’s 67 counties. The state gained 504,000 jobs over the year, an increase of 5.8%. There was 364,000 jobless Floridians out of a labor force of 10,448,000. 

Nationally, the number of jobs rose 4.7% over the year. The U.S. unemployment rate was 4.0% in January. 

“News Service of Florida” contributed to this report.