The Gainesville area now has the second-lowest unemployment rate in Florida — a welcome statistic to students who will soon be looking for jobs.
According to data released Friday by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunities, the unemployment rate for the Gainesville metropolitan area fell to 7.1 percent.
The rate has been decreasing for three months and is now behind that of Fort Walton Beach area, which has a 6.6-percent jobless rate.
The report’s local rates are not seasonally adjusted.
The number of people with jobs in the Gainesville metropolitan area, which includes Alachua and Gilchrist counties, jumped by 1,373 to 127,641 in February.
Alachua County’s overall unemployment rate dropped to 7 percent in February from 7.3 percent in January, according to the report.
The statewide unemployment rate fell to 9.4 percent in February with 869,000 people unemployed in Florida, according to the seasonally adjusted rate — the lowest since about February 2009.
In February 2011, the statewide unemployment rate was 10.8 percent, while the U.S. average was 9 percent.
Alachua County spokesman Mark Sexton said the county, including Gainesville, is an ideal place for companies to set up offices and create jobs.
“If you have a place that’s green, exciting and has a lot going on culturally, I think it’s a place where companies are convinced that’s where their employees want to be,” he said.
Colin Knapp, a visiting UF economics professor, said the decrease in the number of unemployed people and increase in the labor force is a good sign for economic growth.
“Gainesville is experiencing different labor market trends,” he said. “Gainesville is starting to see some job growth, but we aren’t decreasing the labor force, which is a good thing.”
Like many soon-to-be graduates, Sam Rudik, a 22-year-old economics senior, will be looking for work. He said the decline in local unemployment rates is a welcoming sign for future job opportunities.
“I’m really optimistic about the economy, its recovery and what it means for my prospective entry into the workforce,” he said.
Unemployment rates for February
Gainesville area: 7.1 percent
Jacksonville area: 8.8 percent
Tampa area: 9.4 percent
Miami area: 9 percent
Tallahassee area: 7.5 percent
West Palm Beach area: 9.2 percent
Florida, seasonally adjusted: 9.4 percent
U.S., seasonally adjusted: 8.3 percent
Source: Florida Department of Economic Opportunities
*City rates are not seasonally adjusted
