RWB19
Overview of the CareerSource Heartland Region
Not Seasonally Adjusted
January 18, 2019
• The unemployment rate in the CareerSource Heartland region (DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, and
Okeechobee counties) was 4.1 percent in December 2018. This rate was 0.3 percentage point lower
than the region's year ago rate of 4.4 percent. The labor force was 78,795, up 2,127 (+2.8) over
the year. There were 3,227 unemployed residents in the region.
• Okeechobee County had the lowest unemployment rate (3.3 percent) in the CareerSource Heartland
region followed by DeSoto County (3.7 percent), Hardee County (4.3 percent), and Highlands County
(4.6 percent).
• Employment by industry in the CareerSource Heartland region totaled 52,504 jobs in June 2018 (the
latest available data). Industry employment decreased by 1.1 percent over the year.
• The annual job growth rates for information (+31.0 percent); leisure and hospitality (+5.5
percent); other services (+3.8 percent); trade, transportation, and utilities (+1.9 percent); and
government (+0.9 percent) was equal to or exceeded those of the state.
• The CareerSource Heartland region’s industry employment decreased by 590 jobs over the year in
June 2018. Seven of the 11 industries added jobs over the year. The industries that gained the most
jobs included: leisure and hospitality (+319 jobs) and trade, transportation, and utilities (+213
jobs).
• In December 2018 nonagricultural employment in the Sebring MSA was 26,300, an increase of 600
jobs (+2.3 percent) over the year.
Note: All data are subject to revision.
Source: Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, Bureau of Workforce Statistics and Economic Research.
| Unemployment Rates (%) (not seasonally adjusted) |
||||||||||
| Dec-18 | Nov-18 | Dec-17 | ||||||||
| CareerSource Heartland | 4.1 | 3.8 | 4.4 | |||||||
| DeSoto County | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.8 | |||||||
| Hardee County | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.6 | |||||||
| Highlands County | 4.6 | 4.3 | 5.1 | |||||||
| Okeechobee County | 3.3 | 3.0 | 3.7 | |||||||
| Florida | 3.3 | 3.1 | 3.7 | |||||||
| United States | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.9 | |||||||
|
Employment by Industry |
CareerSource Heartland Region | Florida | ||||||||
| Jun-18 | Jun-17 | change | % change | Jun-18 | Jun-17 | change | % change | |||
| Total Employment | 52,504 | 53,094 | -590 | -1.1 | 8,568,873 | 8,387,656 | 181,217 | 2.2 | ||
| Natural Resources and Mining | 5,601 | 6,328 | -727 | -11.5 | 66,505 | 67,404 | -899 | -1.3 | ||
| Construction | 2,980 | 2,965 | 15 | 0.5 | 543,877 | 508,468 | 35,409 | 7.0 | ||
| Manufacturing | 1,788 | 1,860 | -72 | -3.9 | 371,423 | 365,843 | 5,580 | 1.5 | ||
| Trade, Transportation, and Utilities | 11,219 | 11,006 | 213 | 1.9 | 1,759,424 | 1,726,461 | 32,963 | 1.9 | ||
| Wholesale Trade | 1,092 | 1,080 | 12 | 1.1 | 344,698 | 344,262 | 436 | 0.1 | ||
| Retail Trade | 8,045 | 7,800 | 245 | 3.1 | 1,119,252 | 1,101,808 | 17,444 | 1.6 | ||
| Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities | 2,082 | 2,126 | -44 | -2.1 | 295,474 | 280,391 | 15,083 | 5.4 | ||
| Information | 368 | 281 | 87 | 31.0 | 139,206 | 138,650 | 556 | 0.4 | ||
| Financial Activities | 1,570 | 1,567 | 3 | 0.2 | 570,482 | 556,638 | 13,844 | 2.5 | ||
| Professional and Business Services | 4,082 | 4,573 | -491 | -10.7 | 1,360,781 | 1,321,910 | 38,871 | 2.9 | ||
| Education and Health Services | 9,580 | 9,660 | -80 | -0.8 | 1,274,126 | 1,247,617 | 26,509 | 2.1 | ||
| Leisure and Hospitality | 6,090 | 5,771 | 319 | 5.5 | 1,226,564 | 1,209,851 | 16,713 | 1.4 | ||
| Other Services | 1,268 | 1,222 | 46 | 3.8 | 279,743 | 275,442 | 4,301 | 1.6 | ||
| Government | 7,925 | 7,852 | 73 | 0.9 | 968,479 | 962,430 | 6,049 | 0.6 | ||
| Population | 2017 | 2016 | change | % change | ||||||
| CareerSource Heartland | 208,761 | 205,551 | 3,210 | 1.6 | ||||||
| DeSoto County | 36,862 | 35,925 | 937 | 2.6 | ||||||
| Hardee County | 27,411 | 27,371 | 40 | 0.1 | ||||||
| Highlands County | 102,883 | 101,558 | 1,325 | 1.3 | ||||||
| Okeechobee County | 41,605 | 40,697 | 908 | 2.2 | ||||||
| Florida | 20,984,400 | 20,656,589 | 327,811 | 1.6 | ||||||
| Average Annual Wage | 2017 | 2016 | change | % change | ||||||
| CareerSource Heartland | $35,364 | $33,552 | 1,812 | 5.4 | ||||||
| DeSoto County | $35,633 | $34,618 | $1,015 | 2.9 | ||||||
| Hardee County | $34,226 | $33,283 | $943 | 2.8 | ||||||
| Highlands County | $33,820 | $32,845 | $974 | 3.0 | ||||||
| Okeechobee County | $39,506 | $34,642 | $4,864 | 14.0 | ||||||
| Florida | $48,460 | $47,055 | $1,405 | 3.0 | ||||||
Note: All data are subject to revision.
Source: Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, Bureau of Labor Market Statistics.