In what appears to be a bottoming out of the job market at the closest to full employment that Flagler and Florida may see in this economic cycle, the unemployment rate in the state remained at 3.4 percent in June, hovering withing a decimal point of that figure either way for a year, while Flagler’s seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate ticked up 4.1 percent, from 3.6 percent in May. Flagler’s unemployment rate has also hovered in the same range for a year, give or take a few more decimal points.
But unlike more recent months that saw strong growth in Flagler’s labor force, the labor force in June was flat, at 48,376, while the number of unemployed persons rose by 243, and the number of people holding jobs fell by almost the same number (255). The labor force is still at or near record levels, and is stronger by 1,000 than at this point last year. The number of Flagler residents with jobs, which set a record last month (46,648) was at 46,393. It was at 44,000 in January 2018, so employment in the county grew 5.4 percent in just 18 months. The labor force remains smaller than half the total population of the county (112,000 by the Census Bureau’s July 2018 estimate).
The number of people with jobs represents anyone living in Flagler and holding a job, but not necessarily in Flagler. So the employment figure is not necessarily a reflection of economic activity in the county proper, but of the employment status of its residents. The figures also don;t reflect full-time employment, but all employment. A person logging a single hour of work during the period surveyed is considered employed.
The state’s labor department doesn’t release the alternative measure of employment, which take into account those who are under-employed–those employed part-time because they couldn’t find full-time work, or have had their hours cut back, and those who have dropped out of the labor force out of discouragement. The federal government tracks those measures, which would place Florida’s unemployment and under-employment rate at 7.5 percent, one decimal point below the national average. Florida’s alternative rate has improved in the past 12 months enough to fall below the national average. For most of the years since the Great Recession, it had been well above the national average.
There were 349,000 unemployed Floridians in June out of a labor force of 10.3 million. Florida does not count the unemployed who no longer search for work, or comply with restrictive state rules–such as showing proof of looking for work–required to be counted among the unemployed, so the figure is generally an undercount. Nevertheless, the state added 16,100 jobs in June, for a total of 218,000 over the previous 12 months, with education services adding the most jobs over that period (54,700).
Most job sectors saw some job growth, with 2,000 jobs added in mining, logging or construction, 4,400 jobs in professional and technical services, and 5,500 jobs in education and health services. Government jobs added 4,600 people to their payrolls, with the bulk of those in local governments. But like his predecessor, Gov. Ron DeSantis in his various job-announcement releases is focusing only on private-sector job creation.
In June, Monroe had the lowest unemployment rate at 2.4 percent, followed by St. Johns and Okaloosa County (2.9 percent) Walton (3.0) and Orange (3.1). Hendry County, which many years ago relieved Flagler of that unhappy distinction, had the highest unemployment rate (6.6 percent), followed by Hardee
(5.9), Citrus and Sumter (5.2).
The full June report is below.
The June 2019 Unemployment Report:
Click to access florida-flagler-unemployment-june-2019.pdf
Ursula Fairbanks says
Seems there’s no real way to get accurate jobs data, to reflect reality. Most of the people I know are employed. Of those, most are happy with the pay. There are a few who make less than they did 10 years ago and benefits are way less than 10 years ago. Not sure what real numbers are, but whoever has a job is thankful to have one. Stores and parking lots seem busier than ever, so people are spending money again. To me that is a positive sign. I didn’t vote for trump but I do think the economy is better from seeing first hand what is going on in Flagler and around the country and from hearing from friends here and in other states. Right before 9/11 things seemed really good (economy), but when the housing market crashed after that, things were terrible, and under obama (I voted for him the first time), things got worse. My opinion…based on what I have seen and heard. Trump says terrible things I don’t agree with, but whatever he has been doing with the economy seems to be making a positive difference. If we don’t like what he says we can say so. If we don’t like the improvement in the economy and want it to return to $hit we can vote against him in 2020. I want quicker Legal immigration, but I also think we need a wall and I didn’t feel that way about the wall until recently. A dear friends son died of an overdose when he was visiting his cousin in Texas. They can get heroin “anywhere” out there. Guess where that is coming from? Three of the guys with him were here illegally. One had been deported seven times. That’s the sad truth. I got a little off topic, sorry for that. I hope things continue to improve. I don’t see that happening if a democrat is elected. I plan to change from democrat to independent. Democrats keep letting us down (keeping us down), and I for one think it is time to stop letting them. Enough is enough.
Dave says
Enjoy the last of Obama’s era while it lasts. As per usual about 4 years into a new presidency the effects of the last president should be ending and everything the new president has touched will start to be noticed. Brace yourselves for what it will be like during Trumps era. If you have a job keep it and if you have money save because things are about to get ugly.
tulip says
Trump has convinced people that he personally made the economy better. Does anyone know how he did that? All he did was give huge tax breaks to businesses and corporations, and the minimum wage increased. The corporations used the breaks to buy back stock, invest more and make more money and pay their shareholders more, rather than give some benefits to employees, hence the rise in the stock market. The market does not necessarily judge how the economy is. Wages went up, but so did the price of everything right afterward. What are people going to think when the economy slows down, which it will. There is a natural cycle to all things.
I am an Independent voter and all I want is for this country to be more whole again and get rid of the anger, lies, divisiveness, racism, cruelty and facist attitude from a President who defends cruel murderous dictators rather than his own country! Also to get rid of all the leaders that sold themselves by hugging Trump and have allowed all these things to happen because they are cowards, afraid of the Pres and want to be re-elected. I will never vote for any of the ever again.,
Our stores here in PC are more crowded due to a large increase in population/ The roads are fuller also, as we all know. If the economy was so wonderful, stores would constantly have their “sales” to lure people in, only to find it’s the same merchandise still left over from previous sales.
Economies rise and fall in cycles. I’m willing to bet many many families are still struggling and have to work 2 or 3 jobs to stay afloat, while the rich get all the breaks. JMO
Maggie says
Flagler county is not a bug industries area, more of a rural area. Dont know what the big deal is when employment number are low. If you want big numbers, move to orlando
Fredrick says
@dave and @tulip, you make me laugh. Your posts prior to the election were it was the end of times, the market was going to crash. Obama and his minions including the media said we would never see the GDP that we have seen. It was over. He was just making excuses for is failure. Said a magic wand was needed to bring jobs back. Well I guess that magic wand has been waved. So now you have declared the end of the Obama economy. So when the boom continues your argument is out the window.
Tulip, he did it by taking off the handcuffs and removing regulations that moved business offshore. By getting us out of stupid trade deals, stupid agreements, and not giving billions of dollars to to countries that hate us. He did it by making this country strong again and not a patsy.
He is a buffoon and not politically correct. I didn’t vote for him because I wanted to have him over for dinner. I voted for him because what your side put up was not an option and would have been more of the same. I voted for him because it would been more of the same crap and destruction of this country, just as the Boy King had done. I voted for him because he was not a politician and not beholding to anyone but the American people. So far, even with the totally obstruction from the left, who has thrown everything they have against him, and even with him being his own worse enemy at times, he has done a pretty damn good job.
snapperhead says
I’m sure if Trump and his puppet masters read this they would be disappointed that the Trump marionettes didn’t mention Venezuela.
Just a few facts on the “Trump” economy from Fortune..not exactly a liberal bastion.
TRUMP: “No President has done what I have in … the first 2 1/2 years of his Presidency, including the fact that we have one of the best Economies in the history of our Country.” — tweets Saturday.
THE FACTS: This is one of Trump’s most frequent falsehoods. The economy is solid but it’s not one of the best in the country’s history. Trump is also claiming full credit for an economic expansion that began under President Barack Obama in mid-2009.
The economy expanded at an annual rate of 3.2 percent in the first quarter of this year. That growth was the highest in just four years for the first quarter.
In the late 1990s, growth topped 4 percent for four straight years, a level it has not yet reached on an annual basis under Trump. Growth even reached 7.2 percent in 1984.
While the economy has shown strength, it grew 2.9% in 2018 — the same pace it reached in 2015 — and simply hasn’t hit historically high growth rates.
https://fortune.com/2019/06/17/us-economy-under-trump/
Forecasts for GDP growth for Q2 2019 is less than 2% some as low as 1%…certainly that’ll be Democrats fault or the Feds or someone else because it can’t be Trump’s fault.
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/24/jp-morgan-slashes-second-quarter-gdp-forecast-to-just-1percent.html
Unfortunately, in the first year of the tax cuts, the deficit increased from $666 billion in fiscal 2017 to $779 billion in fiscal 2018, an increase of $113 billion or 17%. It looks like they are on a path to $1 trillion or more as far as the eye can see.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckjones/2019/01/18/trumps-big-win-the-largest-budget-deficit-with-a-strong-economy/#7b27324249d1
Boomer generations gift to the future generations of Murica.
Where are those GOP deficit hawks who for 8 years said Obama’s deficits were going to bankrupt Murica?..guess I should just leave. Send me back, send me back, send me back!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dave says
If we can get a Democrat in the White house 2020 we will only have to suffer Trumps bad economy from 2020 to 2024 , Obama’s era economy should hold till 2020