Tampa Bay Tops State in Job Creation

TAMPA, FL – When it comes to job creation, the Tampa Bay area tops the entire state.

That’s according to Gov. Rick Scott’s office, which released figures Friday detailing job growth and unemployment numbers across the state. With 40,500 jobs added to the Tampa Bay area economy over the year in November, the region well outpaces other parts of the Sunshine State.

Unemployment in the Bay area has also dipped along with the additions of jobs, the governor’s office noted in a media release. The rate was 4.6 percent in November, showing a decline of 1.1 percentage points over the previous November.

All told, Florida has added more than 1 million private sector jobs since December 2010, the governor’s office said.

Tampa Bay also leads the state in the number of job openings with more than 52,000 posted positions currently advertised in the area, Scott said in a statement.

“This growth is helping Florida become first for jobs, and we look forward to seeing more businesses and families succeed in our great state.”

Industries that propelled Tampa’s job growth to the top include:

• Leisure and hospitality – 13.300 new jobs
• Education and health services – 12,500 new jobs
• Professional and business services – 8,200 new jobs

Tampa Bay also led the state in “demand for high-wage, high-skill science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) occupations, with15,005 openings in November,” the state reported.

Florida’s statewide employment rate in November was 5 percent.

To find out more about Florida’s labor market, visit the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity online.

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