April 2025

Released May 21, 2025

Released April 18, 2025

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United States Employment Snapshot

• In April, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia unemployment fell in 5, rose in 20, and remained unchanged in 26.

• The highest unemployment rate was 5.8 percent in District of Columbia, and the lowest was 1.8 percent in South Dakota. Nationally, the unemployment rate remained unchanged in April.

• In April, payroll jobs rose in 40 states and fell in 11. The largest payroll job percent increase was 0.4 percent in Mississippi. The largest payroll job percent decline was 0.2 percent in Vermont.

Florida Employment Snapshot

• In April, Florida added 21,300 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage point to 3.7 percent. In the prior month, Florida added 21,100 net payroll jobs.

• Over the past 12 months, Florida added 144,100 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate rose by 0.4 percentage points from 3.3 percent.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 177,000 in April, or 0.1 percent. Florida is tied for 6th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• In April, Florida’s private sector added 21,800 net private payroll jobs, and over the past 12 months it added 125,700 private payroll jobs. In the prior month, Florida added 18,900 net private payroll jobs.

• In April, employment in Florida fell by 2,475, and over the past 12 months it rose by 10,893.

• Florida’s labor force participation rate remained steady at 58 percent in April and ranks 45th in the nation. In the past 12 months, the labor force participation rate has fallen by 0.7 percentage points.

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Florida Payroll Employment

• Florida added 21,300 net payroll jobs, or 0.2 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during April. In the prior month, Florida added 21,100 jobs. Florida nonfarm payroll employment has increased in 10 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 177,000 in April, or 0.1 percent. Florida is tied for 6th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• Florida added 21,800 private sector jobs, or 0.2 percent. on a seasonally adjusted basis during April. In the prior month, Florida added 18,900 jobs. Florida private sector payroll employment has increased in 10 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, private sector payroll jobs rose by 167,000 jobs in April, or 0.1 percent. Florida is tied for 11th in the nation for percentage gain in private sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• The best performing sectors on a seasonally adjusted basis during April were Education and Health Services (8,000) and Professional and Business Services (7,400).

• The poorest performing sectors during the month were Government (-500) and Manufacturing (-2,000).

• The best performing sectors during the last 12 months were Education and Health Services (48,200) and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (26,200).

• The poorest performing sectors during the last 12 months were Manufacturing (3,000) and Information (2,600).

Florida Labor Force

The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the civilian noninstitutionalized population age 16 and older who are employed or actively looking for work.

• The labor force participation rate in Florida remained unchanged at 58 percent in April.

• Florida ranks 45th in the nation.

• The 10-year high for the labor force participation rate in Florida was 59.7 percent occurring in December 2019, and the 10-year low was 53.8 percent in April 2020.

• The national labor force participation rate rose by 0.1 percentage points to 62.6 percent in April.