RWB19
Overview of the CareerSource Heartland Region
Not Seasonally Adjusted
April 20, 2018
• The unemployment rate in the CareerSource Heartland region (DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, and Okeechobee counties) was 4.3 percent in March 2018. This rate was 0.4 percentage point lower than the region's year ago rate of 4.7 percent. The labor force was 78,579, down -2,732 (-3.4) over the year. There were 3,413 unemployed residents in the region.
• Okeechobee County had the lowest unemployment rate (3.6 percent) in the CareerSource Heartland region followed by DeSoto County (3.8 percent), Hardee County (4.6 percent), and Highlands County (4.9 percent).
• Employment by industry in the CareerSource Heartland region totaled 52,129 jobs in September 2017 (the latest available data). Industry employment decreased by 1.4 percent over the year.
• The annual job growth rates for natural resources and mining (+4.7 percent); financial activities (+2.0 percent); and other services (+0.4 percent) exceeded those of the state.
• The CareerSource Heartland region’s industry employment decreased by 762 jobs over the year in September 2017. Four of the 11 industries added jobs over the year. The industries that gained the most jobs included: natural resources and mining (+236 jobs); financial activities (+29 jobs); other services (+5 jobs); and education and health services (+4 jobs).
• In March 2018 nonagricultural employment in the Sebring MSA was 25,800, an decrease of 800 jobs (-3.0 percent) over the year.
Note: All data are subject to revision.
Source: Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, Bureau of Labor Market Statistics.
| Unemployment Rates (%) (not seasonally adjusted) |
||||||||||
| Mar-18 | Feb-18 | Mar-17 | ||||||||
| CareerSource Heartland | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.7 | |||||||
| DeSoto County | 3.8 | 3.9 | 4.3 | |||||||
| Hardee County | 4.6 | 4.7 | 5.1 | |||||||
| Highlands County | 4.9 | 5.1 | 5.3 | |||||||
| Okeechobee County | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.7 | |||||||
| Florida | 3.8 | 3.8 | 4.2 | |||||||
| United States | 4.1 | 4.4 | 4.6 | |||||||
|
Employment by Industry |
CareerSource Heartland Region | Florida | ||||||||
| Sep-17 | Sep-16 | change | % change | Sep-17 | Sep-16 | change | % change | |||
| Total Employment | 52,129 | 52,891 | -726 | -1.4 | 8,307,874 | 8,322,432 | -14,558 | -0.2 | ||
| Natural Resources and Mining | 5,243 | 5,007 | 236 | 4.7 | 58,118 | 62,061 | -3,943 | -6.4 | ||
| Construction | 2,580 | 2,656 | -76 | -2.9 | 484,860 | 484,894 | -34 | 0.0 | ||
| Manufacturing | 1,675 | 1,811 | -136 | -7.5 | 357,348 | 357,277 | 71 | 0.0 | ||
| Trade, Transportation, and Utilities | 10,588 | 10,945 | -357 | -3.3 | 1,691,947 | 1,702,940 | -10,933 | -0.6 | ||
| Wholesale Trade | 1,037 | 1,026 | 11 | 1.1 | 340,110 | 338,975 | 1,135 | 0.3 | ||
| Retail Trade | 7,605 | 7,878 | -273 | -3.5 | 1,075,992 | 1,092,444 | 16,452 | -1.5 | ||
| Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities | 1,946 | 2,041 | -95 | -4.7 | 275,845 | 271,521 | 4,324 | 1.6 | ||
| Information | 290 | 291 | -1 | -0.3 | 134,750 | 135,662 | -912 | -0.7 | ||
| Financial Activities | 1,508 | 1,479 | 29 | 2.0 | 554,843 | 544,507 | 10,336 | 1.9 | ||
| Professional and Business Services | 4,283 | 4,426 | -143 | -3.2 | 1,294,196 | 1,290,817 | 3,379 | 0.3 | ||
| Education and Health Services | 9,373 | 9,369 | 4 | 0.0 | 1,243,874 | 1,233,964 | 9,910 | 0.8 | ||
| Leisure and Hospitality | 5,362 | 5,632 | -270 | -4.8 | 1,142,481 | 1,159,967 | -17,486 | -1.5 | ||
| Other Services | 1,122 | 1,117 | 5 | 0.4 | 264,072 | 273,113 | -9,041 | -3.3 | ||
| Government | 10,098 | 10,149 | -51 | -0.5 | 1,073,949 | 1,071,237 | 2,712 | 0.3 | ||
| 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 | 2016 | 2015 | change | % change | ||||||
| CareerSource Heartland | $33,552 | $33,287 | $265 | 0.8 | ||||||
| DeSoto County | $34,618 | $34,547 | $71 | 0.2 | ||||||
| Hardee County | $33,283 | $31,851 | $1,432 | 4.5 | ||||||
| Highlands County | $32,845 | $32,510 | $335 | 1.0 | ||||||
| Okeechobee County | $34,642 | $35,213 | -$571 | -1.6 | ||||||
| Florida | $47,055 | $46,236 | $819 | 1.8 | ||||||
Note: All data are subject to revision.
Source: Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, Bureau of Labor Market Statistics.