Here's how unemployment in Polk County, Florida compares

Polk County's unemployment rate in December was 3.8%—ranked #10 highest out of 67 in the state.

Nationally, unemployment has leveled with pre-COVID rates, measuring between 3.5% and 4% for most of the past two years. Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed a 3.7% unemployment rate in January. Previously, unemployment skyrocketed to 14.7% at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020, and those rates remained elevated through late 2021.

Though national unemployment has mostly normalized, local economies vary widely. Stacker used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to analyze unemployment in Polk County over time, and how it stacks up within Florida and across the nation.

The unemployment rate in Polk County is 0.1 percentage points above the national level, and 0.8 percentage points above the state level. It ranks #10 among counties in Florida—ranked first by the preliminary December 2023 unemployment rate, then breaking ties by the number of unemployed people. It trails behind Hernando County, with an unemployment rate of 3.9%, but surpasses Jackson County (which has the same unemployment rate).

In real terms, it means an estimated 13,093 of Polk County's approximately 347,215 working residents are out of a job at the moment. That's 49 fewer than last month and 3,717 more than a year ago. Some economists fret another recession may be on the horizon, which would drive unemployment up with business closures and layoffs.

This story was produced using automation across 3,100 counties, boroughs, and parishes, based on writing and data reporting by Paxtyn Merten.