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Florida Expands Private Sector Workforce with 22,900 New Jobs in May 2025

Florida’s manufacturing sector gained 1,100 jobs in May 2025

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Today, FloridaCommerce announced that Florida’s total private sector employment increased by 22,900 (+0.3%) jobs from the previous month. Florida’s manufacturing sector gained 1,100 jobs in May 2025, continuing to position Florida as a leader in the manufacturing industry.

Florida’s private sector job growth rate has exceeded the national rate for 48 of the last 50 months since April 2021. The industry that gained the most jobs in May 2025 was the professional and business services sector, adding 7,100 jobs; followed by trade, transportation and utilities, adding 4,800 jobs; education and health services, adding 4,600 jobs; and leisure and hospitality, adding 4,100 jobs.

The U.S. News & World Report recently ranked Florida as the #1 economy in the nation for the second year in a row and #1 in economic growth. Florida also ranks #1 in postsecondary education, including our 28 state colleges and 12 state universities and #2 in education overall.

“Under Governor DeSantis’ leadership, Florida continues to drive strategic economic expansion and job creation across key sectors, with this month’s strong growth in manufacturing being the result of that,” said Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly. “Florida is not resting on our laurels—just this week at the Paris Air Show several wins were announced—such as the announcement of Otto Aviation, phase two for Aura Aero, UCF-Lockheed Martin’s training agreement and the signing of two critical bills to support aerospace and aviation—continuing to lead the future of industry, innovation and workforce training.”

As of May 2025, Florida employers have added jobs in 58 of the last 61 months since May 2020. Florida’s total private employment increased by 134,500 (+1.5%) over the year in May 2025. Florida’s statewide unemployment rate was 3.7 percent in May 2025 and has been lower than the national rate for 55 consecutive months since November 2020.

Resources for Job Seekers:

  • Florida’s Labor Exchange Marketplace, Employ Florida, connects job seekers to employment, training and education and job creators to skilled talent.
  • CareerSource Florida's network of local career centers offers tailored career counseling, skills assessments, resume assistance and job placement support.
  • Apprentice Florida is a partnership between the Florida Department of Education, FloridaCommerce and CareerSource Florida to expand apprenticeship programs across the state.
  • Veterans Florida works to help military veterans transition to civilian life, connecting them with employers who are eager to hire them for jobs that align with the skills they gained serving in the military.
  • The Military Family Employment Advocacy Program delivers priority workforce services to active-duty military spouses and family members through Military Family Employment Advocates located in local career centers throughout Florida.
  • The Military Spousal License Reciprocity Matrix, a one-stop reference source for helping military spouses transfer, renew or reissue professional licenses they need for work after relocating to Florida.
  • The FloridaCommerce Talent Pipeline Portal for Aerospace and Defense, a career advancement platform that connects job seekers and job creators within the aerospace and defense industry - propelling Florida forward.

Data in the month of May continues to indicate there are jobs available for every Floridian who wants to work, with over 408,000 jobs posted online. Floridians in search of work and new job opportunities can utilize the CareerSource Florida network for help. Floridians can find guidance on how to register with Employ Florida and search listings of available local job openings. Career seekers also can improve their employability by perfecting resume writing and interviewing skills, establishing career goals and pursuing customized career training. These services are provided at no cost to job seekers.

To view the May 2025 jobs reports by region, please see below:

To view May 2025 employment data, click here.  

Visit Florida Insight for more information on the labor market and economic data. Additionally, FloridaCommerce has provided a video to assist users in explaining the data provided through Florida Insight.

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