Seasonal job gains and unemployment drop over the month


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Posted January 27, 2025 |

The jobless rate in the CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion region was 4.0% in December, a drop of 0.7 percentage point over the month and virtually unchanged from the year ago rate of 3.9%.

According to preliminary employment data released by FloridaCommerce, the labor force was 217,002, which represented an expansion of 154 over the month and contraction of 2,448 since December 2023. There were 208,276 employed residents across the three-county area, an increase of 1,590 compared to November and 2,663 fewer over the year. There were 8,726 unemployed residents in the region, down 1,436 compared to November and 215 more than December 2023.

In a news release from CareerSource CLM, Dale French, the agency’s executive vice president, said of the report, “While we continue to see fluctuations across the counties in our region, the figures remain consistent. Seasonal employment fluctuations are to be expected. Overall, we are seeing very slight increases in unemployment, but an overall strong local economy.”

Levy and Marion counties posted the region’s lowest jobless rates at 3.8%, both down 0.6 percentage point over the month and landing the counties with the 10th highest rates in the state. Citrus County’s rate of 4.8% was the highest among Florida’s 67 counties but was 0.7 percentage point lower than November’s rate. Florida’s not seasonally adjusted rate, which matches how local rates are determined, was 3.1%, down half a percent over the month.

CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion offers job fairs, hiring events, workshops and facilities for job searches, training grants for eligible candidates, career development and one-on-one consulting at no charge to those seeking employment. Call (800) 434-JOBS (5627) or visit careersourceclm.com to learn more.

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