Gov. Scott: Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater Gains 29,400 Jobs Over the Year

Press Release

Today, Governor Rick Scott announced the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) gained the third-highest number of jobs in January 2014 among all metro areas in Florida compared to a year ago with 29,400 new jobs.The unemployment rate in the Tampa metro area declined by 2.0 percentage points over the year, from 8.5 percent in January 2013 to 6.5 percent in January 2014.

Governor Scott said, "Today's news of positive annual job growth and a declining unemployment rate is evidence that it's working for Florida families in the Tampa area. Let's keep working to create an opportunity economy in Tampa Bay, where all Floridians can have a shot at the American Dream."

In this metro area, nine of the ten major industry sectors gained jobs over the year in January 2014. The industries with the largest gain in jobs over the year were in professional and business services with 9,200 new jobs, trade, transportation, and utilities with 6,300 new jobs, and education and health services with 4,300 new jobs.

The Tampa Bay MSA was first among the state metros in online job demand in January 2014 with 32,032 openings. The metro area was also first in the state in demand for STEM occupations with 10,224 openings in January. STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and these jobs are considered high wage and high skill.

In January, CareerSource Tampa Bay, along with the state's other 23 Regional Workforce Boards, reported more than 38,800 Floridians were placed in jobs. An individual who receives employment and training assistance through a One-Stop Career Center and finds a job within 180 days is deemed a placement and may be reported by a regional workforce board. Of these individuals, 10,106 previously received Reemployment Assistance. In 2013, more than 479,064 Floridians were placed in jobs, with 135,384 former claimants finding employment.

Florida's statewide unemployment rate for January 2014 was 6.1 percent, the lowest unemployment rate in the state since June 2008. Florida's statewide unemployment rate has been below the national unemployment rate since August 2013, which was 6.6 percent in January. Since December 2010, Florida has gained 503,500 private sector jobs.

Every March, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) releases revised historical employment (jobs) and unemployment rates based on a benchmarking process to adjust the data. These benchmark revisions are mandated by BLS and take place this time every year in every state. The benchmark revisions represent an annual change in the level of employment or re-anchoring of survey estimates to actual employment counts from Reemployment Assistance tax records. This process also introduces new population inputs from the most recent Census and other revisions to economic data which leads to changes in the original estimates.

Employment data for February 2014 will be released on March 28, 2014. To view the January 2014 employment data visit www.floridajobs.org/labor-market-information/labor-market-information-press-releases/monthly-press-releases.

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