Jacksonville February job growth rate outpaces all other Florida metropolitan areas

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Florida’s economy added 52,000 jobs in February.

It marks 22 consecutive months of job growth and 11 straight months the state’s job sector growth has outpaced that of the nation.

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Jacksonville specifically had a lot to brag about in the latest jobs report released by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity on Friday.

The Jacksonville metropolitan area saw the largest one-month job growth rate in the state, increasing by 1.1% in February .

The city also added the second-highest number of jobs in February, increasing by 8,100.

The JAX Chamber doesn’t expect that growth to slow down any time soon.

CEO Daniel Davis said the numbers tell a positive story.

“Clearly what we’ve done in Jacksonville is we’re attracting companies. We’re attracting people to our community because we have such a great quality of life,” said Davis.

In particular, construction jobs saw a surge in February.

With 4,300 jobs added in the sector, Jacksonville led all metropolitan areas throughout the state.

“Construction workers are hardworking folks that want to be strong taxpayers in the community, and it’s fantastic to see all the growth that they’ve seen,” said Davis.

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Davis said the city’s economic growth can be attributed in part to local economic policies.

“It’s a clear direction during the pandemic of folks, although in the middle of a crisis, this community grew and I think policies like low tax environment, high quality of life and listen, we can promote Jacksonville to the Northeast in January when it’s 70 degrees out. That’s a great story to tell,” said Davis.

Going forward, Davis said to keep an eye on the financial tech industry in the Bold City.

“And those are very high-paying jobs, clean jobs, and we all want to attract more of that to this community,” said Davis.

The unemployment rate in the Jacksonville metropolitan area sits at 2.8%, two-tenths of a percent below the state’s unemployment rate and more than a full point below the national rate.

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