FORT MYERS, Fla. — Governor Rick Scott announced Friday that Southwest Florida added 10,100 private-sector jobs over the year in November.
According to the office of the governor, the Fort Myers area added 6,700 new private-sector jobs over the year in November and the area’s unemployment rate was 4.6 percent.
The Naples area added 3,400 new private-sector jobs over the year in November and the area’s unemployment rate was 4.9 percent.
Florida businesses created 31,600 private-sector jobs across the state during November 2016, bringing the total number of jobs created since December 2010 to 1,266,900 jobs.
The industries with the largest job gains in Fort Myers over the year were trade, transportation and utilities with 2,700 new jobs; leisure and hospitality with 1,800 new jobs; and construction with 1,500 new jobs.
In November, the Fort Myers area had 8,141 job openings, including 1,335 high-skill, high-wage STEM occupations. The industries with the most job growth in Naples over the year were construction with 1,300 new jobs and leisure and hospitality with 900 new jobs. In November, the Naples area had 4,299 job openings, including 720 high-skill, high-wage STEM occupations.
Florida’s statewide unemployment rate was 4.9 percent in November, as a result of the rapidly growing labor force which increased by 64,000 over-the-month in November alone. For the 56th consecutive month, Florida’s annual job growth rate of 3.5 percent is exceeding the nation’s rate of 1.7 percent. More than 38,961 Floridians were placed in jobs by CareerSource Southwest Florida and the state’s other 23 regional workforce boards.
