Governor Rick Scott announced the Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) had the fifth highest rate of job growth in January 2013 among all metro areas in Florida compared to a year ago, growing by 2.5 percent. The Pensacola metro area has experienced seven consecutive months of positive annual job growth. Additionally, the unemployment rate in the Pensacola metro area declined by 1.3 percentage points over the year, from 9.0 percent in January 2012 to 7.7 percent in January 2013.
Governor Scott said, “Everything we do is geared towards job creation and today we have more proof that IT’S WORKING. The area’s positive job growth rate is further proof that the steps we’re taking to create jobs and opportunities for Florida families is working. Statewide, we’ve added more than 280,000 private sector jobs over the last two years, which means we’re providing hundreds of thousands of opportunities for families across the Sunshine State to achieve the American Dream.”
The Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent MSA created 4,000 new jobs over the year and its job growth rate of 2.5 percent exceeded the state rate of 1.8 percent during the same time period. The Pensacola metro area led all areas in Florida in over-the-year percentage growth in trade, transportation, and utilities (+6.1 percent). These numbers are not seasonally adjusted, according to Lane Wright, spokesperson for the Office of Governor Rick Scott.
The Pensacola metro area showed an increase in online job demand in February 2013, with demand for STEM occupations growing by more than 36 percent over the year (not seasonally adjusted). STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and these jobs are considered high wage and high skill, according to Wright.
Florida’s unemployment rate decreased to 7.8 percent, down from the revised December 2012 rate of 7.9 percent and the lowest since November 2008 (seasonally adjusted). The state experienced an increase of 14,700 private sector jobs over the month. This increase brings the total number of private sector jobs created since December 2010 to 282,200, according to Wright.
Comments