Flagler County’s unemployment rate dropped nearly half of a percentage point in December 2020 from 5.9% to 5.5%, with 213 jobs being created over the past 30 days.
“Last month, our unemployment rate went up because we lost 208 jobs. This month, Flagler County gained 213 jobs,” said Palm Coast-Flagler Regional Chamber of Commerce President Greg Blosé. “For the past few months, we have been in the 5.5% to 6% unemployment range. The trend certainly seems to indicate that this may be the new normal until more positive news occurs on the COVID-19 front. Also, the sooner the weather gets warmer, the better, for our hospitality industry.”
In December 2020, Flagler County employment grew from 43,385 to 43,598, an increase of 213 jobs. Meanwhile, the labor force grew from 45,979 in November 2020 to 46,157, an increase of 178 Flagler County residents looking for work. “Flagler County’s workforce is once again over 46,000 strong,” Blosé said.
Blosé continued, “Because Flagler County’s population is growing, we must continue to create new jobs to see a meaningful reduction in the unemployment rate. People are still moving to Florida and Flagler County from other states, especially after they discover the COVID restrictions in Florida are less than other states, such as California or New York.”
In the past 12 months, Flagler County has lost 1,900 jobs, mostly due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For more information, contact Greg Blosé, President and CEO of the Palm Coast-Flagler Regional Chamber, at 386-846-1864 or via email at Greg@PalmCoastFlaglerRegionalChamber.com.
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