RWB19
Overview of the CareerSource Heartland Region
Not Seasonally Adjusted
May 17, 2019
• The unemployment rate in the CareerSource Heartland region (DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, and Okeechobee counties) was 3.7 percent in April 2019. This rate was 0.3 percentage point lower than the region's year ago rate of 4.0 percent. The labor force was 77,439, down 1,165 (-1.5) over the year. There were 2,827 unemployed residents in the region.
• Desoto County and Okeechobee County had the lowest unemployment rate (3.1 percent) in the CareerSource Heartland region followed by Highlands County (4.0 percent), and Hardee County (4.2 percent).
• Employment by industry in the CareerSource Heartland region totaled 53,806 jobs in September 2018 (the latest available data). Industry employment increased by 3.2 percent over the year.
• The annual job growth rates for information (+30.3 percent); construction (+18.6 percent); leisure and hospitality (+13.5 percent); other services (+10.7 percent); financial activities (+5.8 percent); and government (+1.2 percent) exceeded those of the state.
• The CareerSource Heartland region’s industry employment increased by 1,677 jobs over the year in September 2018. Nine of the 11 industries added jobs over the year. The industries that gained the most jobs included: leisure and hospitality (+723 jobs); construction (+480 jobs); and trade, transportation, and utilities (+400 jobs).
• In April 2019 nonagricultural employment in the Sebring MSA was 26,400. This employment total is unchanged from April 2018.
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) |
||||||||||
| Apr-19 | Mar-19 | Apr-18 | ||||||||
| CareerSource Heartland | 3.7 | 4.1 | 4.0 | |||||||
| DeSoto County | 3.4 | 3.8 | 3.7 | |||||||
| Hardee County | 4.8 | 5.1 | 4.7 | |||||||
| Highlands County | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.6 | |||||||
| Okeechobee County | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.5 | |||||||
| Florida | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.7 | |||||||
| United States | 3.9 | 4.1 | 4.1 | |||||||
|
Employment by Industry |
CareerSource Heartland Region | Florida | ||||||||
| Sep-18 | Sep-17 | change | % change | Sep-18 | Sep-17 | change | % change | |||
| Total Employment | 53,806 | 52,129 | 1677 | 3.2 | 8,790,296 | 8,307,874 | 482,422 | 5.8 | ||
| Natural Resources and Mining | 4,853 | 5,243 | -390 | -7.4 | 60,878 | 58,118 | 2,760 | 4.7 | ||
| Construction | 3,060 | 2,580 | 480 | 18.6 | 547,673 | 484,860 | 62,813 | 13.0 | ||
| Manufacturing | 1,710 | 1,675 | 35 | 2.1 | 372,802 | 357,348 | 15,454 | 4.3 | ||
| Trade, Transportation, and Utilities | 10,988 | 10,588 | 400 | 3.8 | 1,856,510 | 1,691,947 | 164,563 | 9.7 | ||
| Wholesale Trade | 1,102 | 1,037 | 65 | 6.3 | 345,857 | 340,110 | 5,747 | 1.7 | ||
| Retail Trade | 7,816 | 7,605 | 211 | 2.8 | 1,212,263 | 1,075,992 | 136,271 | 12.7 | ||
| Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities | 2,070 | 1,946 | 124 | 6.4 | 298,390 | 275,845 | 22,545 | 8.2 | ||
| Information | 378 | 290 | 88 | 30.3 | 137,595 | 134,750 | 2,845 | 2.1 | ||
| Financial Activities | 1,596 | 1,508 | 88 | 5.8 | 571,190 | 554,843 | 16,347 | 2.9 | ||
| Professional and Business Services | 4,111 | 4,283 | -172 | -4.0 | 1,366,913 | 1,294,196 | 72,717 | 5.6 | ||
| Education and Health Services | 9,547 | 9,373 | 174 | 1.9 | 1,293,174 | 1,243,874 | 49,300 | 4.0 | ||
| Leisure and Hospitality | 6,085 | 5,362 | 723 | 13.5 | 1,210,139 | 1,142,481 | 65,658 | 5.9 | ||
| Other Services | 1,242 | 1,122 | 120 | 10.7 | 277,659 | 264,072 | 13,587 | 5.1 | ||
| Government | 10,222 | 10,098 | 124 | 1.2 | 1,084,662 | 1,073,949 | 10,713 | 1.0 | ||
| Population | 2018 | 2017 | change | % change | ||||||
| CareerSource Heartland | 211,695 | 209,702 | 1,993 | 1.0 | ||||||
| DeSoto County | 37,448 | 37,252 | 237 | 0.6 | ||||||
| Hardee County | 27,245 | 27,202 | 43 | 0.2 | ||||||
| Highlands County | 105,424 | 104,060 | 1,364 | 1.3 | ||||||
| Okeechobee County | 41,537 | 41,188 | 349 | 0.8 | ||||||
| Florida | 21,299,325 | 20,976,812 | 322,513 | 1.5 | ||||||
| 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.