Total nonagricultural employment in Palm Beach County is 622,000, adding 26,500 jobs over the year – a 4.5 percent gain.
Other improvements include:
- For the third consecutive month, there are more job openings than unemployed people in Palm Beach County – 36,607 job openings vs. 31,018 unemployed people in September. Florida has 520,122 job openings vs. 517,000 unemployed people.
- For more than a year, the county’s unemployment rate stayed below other major state markets, including Miami-Dade County, Broward County and the Greater Orlando area. These areas with large numbers of theme parks, cruise ships and international flight traffic have taken the longest time to recover.
- For six consecutive months, the leisure/hospitality industry sector has led the county in over-the-year job growth.
- The Business Development Board of Palm Beach County reports that they have assisted 31 corporate relocations/expansions resulting in more than 3,000 jobs, $152 million in capital investments and 1 million square feet of real estate space.
“Today’s September report, much like August, shows steady and consistent employment and economic recovery, with strong gains in certain industry sectors. Fall traditionally is the time many employers increase staffing for the tourism season and the local job market has never let up. Palm Beach County has continued to outperform the state and nation for more than a year now,” said Julia Dattolo, President and CEO of CareerSource Palm Beach County, the nonprofit organization chartered by the state to lead workforce development in Palm Beach County.
Job growth by industry sector: On a percentage basis, job gains in September were led by the leisure/hospitality sector with 17.9 percent over-the-year job growth, besting a statewide gain of 16.0 percent in that sector. Jobs in the leisure/hospitality, construction, and manufacturing industries grew faster in the county than statewide over the year.
By the numbers, over-the-year job gains/losses in Palm Beach County were:
Industry Change Total jobs
Leisure/hospitality +12,200 jobs 80,400
Professional/business services +4,800 jobs 120,300
Education/health services +4,000 jobs 105,100
Trade/transportation/utilities +3,200 jobs 113,100
Construction +2,300 jobs 39,900
Other services +1,500 jobs 30,700
Manufacturing +700 jobs 19,900
Information +500 jobs 9,800
Financial activities +500 jobs 43,800
Government -3,200 jobs 58,800
Outside of the Great Depression, the county’s record high unemployment rate reached 14.7 percent in April 2020. The record-low unemployment rate was 2.7 percent in Dec. 2019.
Job Fairs Coming Up!
Oct. 27: Marriott Singer Island job fair, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Oct. 29: In-person job fair at Palm Beach State College Lake Worth Campus focused on the manufacturing industry, veterans’ priority 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.; public 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Nov. 1: PGA National Resort job fair, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Nov. 9: Paychecks for Patriots job fair, veterans’ priority 9 a.m.; public 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
More information on these events is at www.careersourcepbc.com.
Florida Minimum Wage Increases to $10 Per Hour
Effective Sept. 30, 2021, Florida’s minimum wage rose to $10 per hour with a minimum wage of at least $6.98 per hour for tipped employees (in addition to tips). The new wage is effective through Sept. 29, 2022. The increase stems from a state constitutional amendment, approved by voters in Nov. 2020, that increases the state’s minimum wage by $1 per hour each year until it reaches $15 per hour on Sept. 30, 2026.
Looking for a New Career? Here’s Help!
CareerSource offers virtual and in-person job fairs, classes and facilities for job searches, grants for job skills training for those who qualify, career development and consulting – at no cost! During the past five program years, CareerSource Palm Beach County assisted nearly 60,000 residents find employment ranging from entry-level to executive suite, with salaries from these jobs creating $1.2 billion in annual wages. CareerSource also awarded $10.1 million in grants to area businesses and employees for job training and educational assistance during that time. More information is at www.careersourcepbc.com.
CareerSource also provides services to help rebuild and sustain businesses in today’s challenging marketplace. CareerSource absorbs the cost of most of these services including recruitment, assessments and referrals of qualified job candidates; space and staff assistance for screening/interviewing candidates; and grants for training employees.
Next monthly employment reports for Florida and Palm Beach County: State and local employment reports for Oct. 2021 are scheduled for release on Nov. 19.
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Note to editors: You are invited to interview a CareerSource spokesperson on local employment and economic trends before 3:00 p.m. today. Please call 561.340.1061 ext. 2229 for scheduling.
Note: The unemployment rate is a measure of how many people in the labor force are out of a job. For example, if total employment holds constant and unemployed Americans stop looking for work, thereby leaving the labor force, the unemployment rate will fall even though no jobs have been added. Conversely, if employment holds steady and recent graduates enter the labor force looking for work, the unemployment rate will rise even though no jobs have disappeared.
IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE STEVENS AMENDMENT:
CareerSource Palm Beach County, Inc. is the direct service provider for various workforce programs supported by the U.S. Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and other agencies as part of awards totaling $17,610,090 (revised annually). Unless otherwise stipulated, all statements, news releases, requests for proposals, bid solicitations and other applicable documents are fully funded from federal sources.