Counties with the highest unemployment rate in Florida

Written by:
November 15, 2022
Ebyabe // Wikimedia Commons

Counties with the highest unemployment rate in Florida

Unemployment rates, while significantly lower than the alarming pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, remain a subject of concern, notably as economic experts bandy around the idea of a potential recession by 2023. The last economic recession—the Great Recession of 2008-2010—sent rates up to 10% as of October 2009. It was not until the spring of 2019 that unemployment finally went down to the same level it sits at now.

As of October of this year, national unemployment is at 3.7%, 0.2% higher than in September. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2.0% in Minnesota, to 4.5% in Illinois and 4.7% in the District of Columbia. Further breakdown by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows yet another county-based spectrum within each state.

To that end, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rate in Florida using data from the BLS. Counties are ranked by unemployment rate in September 2022.

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Zhukova Valentyna // Shutterstock

#50. Brevard County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 303,521 (7,622 unemployed)
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Clément Bardot // Wikimedia Commons

#49. Hillsborough County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
- Total labor force: 814,062 (20,056 unemployed)
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#48. Sarasota County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 201,098 (5,033 unemployed)
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#47. Broward County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.6%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -1.6%
- Total labor force: 1,084,533 (27,881 unemployed)
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Swarm // Wikimedia Commons

#46. Collier County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.6%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 187,814 (4,893 unemployed)

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Ebyabe // Wikimedia Commons

#45. DeSoto County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.6%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 15,599 (411 unemployed)
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#44. Escambia County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.6%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 153,240 (4,056 unemployed)
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Ebyabe // Wikimedia Commons

#43. Gilchrist County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.6%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 7,606 (201 unemployed)
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Ebyabe // Wikimedia Commons

#42. Lafayette County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.6%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 2,854 (74 unemployed)
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Nadezda Murmakova // Shutterstock

#41. Lee County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.6%
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 372,106 (9,645 unemployed)

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#40. Leon County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.6%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 163,162 (4,197 unemployed)
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Roman Eugeniusz // Wikimedia Commons

#39. Manatee County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.6%
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 191,773 (4,923 unemployed)
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Songquan Deng // Shutterstock

#38. Orange County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.6%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.8%
- Total labor force: 791,912 (20,844 unemployed)
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Michael Kagdis // Wikimedia Commons

#37. Palm Beach County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.6%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 773,178 (20,428 unemployed)
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Michael Rivera // Wikimedia Commons

#36. Dixie County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 6,251 (171 unemployed)

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#35. Duval County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
- Total labor force: 522,060 (13,845 unemployed)
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Georgia Guercio // Wikimedia Commons

#34. Holmes County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 7,233 (192 unemployed)
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#33. Lake County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 171,309 (4,667 unemployed)
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Michael Rivera // Wikimedia Commons

#32. Bradford County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 11,345 (317 unemployed)
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Ebyabe // Wikimedia Commons

#31. Columbia County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
- Total labor force: 30,035 (839 unemployed)

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Michael Rivera // Wikimedia Commons

#30. Jackson County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 17,448 (495 unemployed)
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User:Tim Ross // Wikimedia Commons

#29. Jefferson County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 5,928 (164 unemployed)
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Bastique // Wikimedia Commons

#28. Okeechobee County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 17,746 (492 unemployed)
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Ebyabe // Wikimedia Commons

#27. Pasco County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 261,544 (7,218 unemployed)
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Ebyabe // Wikimedia Commons

#26. Union County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.8%
--- 1 month change: +0.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 4,831 (134 unemployed)

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Ebyabe // Wikimedia Commons

#25. Volusia County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
- Total labor force: 269,503 (7,509 unemployed)
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Ebyabe // Wikimedia Commons

#24. Washington County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 9,939 (275 unemployed)
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Michael Rivera // Wikimedia Commons

#23. Calhoun County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
- Total labor force: 5,098 (147 unemployed)
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Ebyabe // Wikimedia Commons

#22. Glades County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 5,220 (150 unemployed)
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Ebyabe // Wikimedia Commons

#21. Levy County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 17,555 (501 unemployed)

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Michael Rivera // Wikimedia Commons

#20. Liberty County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 2,691 (78 unemployed)
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Ebyabe // Wikimedia Commons

#19. Madison County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 8,158 (237 unemployed)
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#18. Suwannee County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
- Total labor force: 17,832 (521 unemployed)
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#17. Charlotte County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 76,737 (2,266 unemployed)
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Georgia Guercio // Wikimedia Commons

#16. Flagler County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 51,136 (1,531 unemployed)

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Ebyabe // Wikimedia Commons

#15. Taylor County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
- Total labor force: 8,023 (239 unemployed)
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Michael Rivera // Wikimedia Commons

#14. Gadsden County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -1.8%
- Total labor force: 21,081 (660 unemployed)
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#13. Indian River County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
- Total labor force: 67,919 (2,130 unemployed)
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Georgia Guercio // Wikimedia Commons

#12. St. Lucie County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
- Total labor force: 157,692 (4,836 unemployed)
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Daniel Wilton // Wikimedia Commons

#11. Hernando County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 77,793 (2,526 unemployed)

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#10. Marion County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
- Total labor force: 146,223 (4,698 unemployed)
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Ebyabe // Wikimedia Commons

#9. Osceola County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -2.2%
- Total labor force: 197,370 (6,267 unemployed)
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#8. Polk County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.5%
- Total labor force: 342,927 (10,861 unemployed)
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Ebyabe // Wikimedia Commons

#7. Hardee County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 9,076 (312 unemployed)
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Ebyabe // Wikimedia Commons

#6. Hamilton County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.6%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.8%
- Total labor force: 4,252 (155 unemployed)

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Excel23 // Wikimedia Commons

#5. Putnam County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.6%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -1.9%
- Total labor force: 27,982 (1,006 unemployed)
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Ebyabe // Wikimedia Commons

#4. Sumter County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 36,453 (1,436 unemployed)
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Ebyabe // Wikimedia Commons

#3. Citrus County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 47,855 (1,929 unemployed)
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Fl295 // Wikimedia Commons

#2. Highlands County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 34,412 (1,420 unemployed)
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Ebyabe // Wikimedia Commons

#1. Hendry County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -1.5%
- Total labor force: 16,142 (772 unemployed)

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