OCALA, FL (352today.com) – The jobless rate in the CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion region remained steady at 4.5% in May, unchanged from April but 0.5 percentage points higher than the same time last year, according to preliminary employment data released Friday by FloridaCommerce.
The region’s labor force was 232,485 last month, reflecting a decrease of 738 from April and an increase of 1,577 compared to May 2024. The number of employed residents across Citrus, Levy, and Marion counties dropped by 832 over the month but grew by 263 over the year, totaling 221,993. The number of unemployed rose by 104 from April to 10,492, up by 1,314 from a year ago.
Dale French, CareerSource CLM’s executive vice president, said the report “reflects seasonal changes we typically see at this time of year.” He noted that fluctuations in employment are common in late spring and early summer.
“There is a bit of a lull in our numbers caused by those temporarily stepping away from the labor force in late spring and early summer before we see the impact of college students, for example, returning to the region seeking part-time or even full-time employment.”
French encouraged job seekers to use CareerSource CLM’s free employment services. “In addition to help with resumes, interview skills and job referrals, we host a number of hiring events and job fairs,” he said. He highlighted the recent Citrus County Job Fair and announced a Summer Job Fair scheduled for July 24 at the Howard Academy Community Center in Ocala.
Among the three counties, Levy posted the lowest jobless rate at 4.1%, up 0.1 percentage point over the month. Marion County followed at 4.3%, unchanged from the previous two months. Citrus County reported a 5.2% unemployment rate, up 0.1 percentage point from April.
Florida’s statewide not seasonally adjusted jobless rate was 3.5% in May, also unchanged from the past two months.
County-specific data shows Citrus County had a labor force of 53,910, down 216 from April, with 51,130 employed and 2,780 unemployed. Levy County’s labor force was 18,962, with 774 unemployed. Marion County had 6,938 unemployed residents out of a labor force of 159,613.
The Ocala metro area continued to see growth in several industries. Government jobs grew at the fastest annual rate in the state, with 800 jobs added for a 5.0% increase. The Mining, Logging, and Construction sector added 200 jobs, while Education and Health Services added 500. Leisure and Hospitality gained 100 jobs. Other industries remained unchanged or declined slightly.
The preliminary employment summary for June will be released Friday, July 18.