Unemployment rate in Marion increases

The July unemployment rate for the Marion County region increased by 0.3% since the month before, according to CareerSource data. 

For the entire region of Marion, Citrus and Levy counties, there were 212,716 people employed in July, with 743 fewer people employed in comparison to June. 

“With 5,883 unemployed, Marion County’s jobless rate increased 0.1 percentage point compared to June’s rate,” according to a CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion (CLM) press release. 

At 4%, the rate of people without jobs in the region is higher in comparison to data from July of last year, when there was a 3.7% unemployment rate across all three counties. 

The data reflects common seasonal trends that typically occur in the summer months, said CareerSource CLM’s regional CEO Rusty Skinner in a press release. 

“The report shows the continued impact of summer workforce transitions—students graduating and other seasonal adjustments,” Skinner said. 

Several industries in Marion County gained jobs over the past year, including education, health services, transportation, hospitality, utilities and trade.