Gov. Scott: Metro Tampa Bay Added Over 34,000 Jobs Over the Year

Press Release

Today, Governor Rick Scott announced the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) added 34,500 new jobs in March 2015 compared to a year ago. The unemployment rate in the Tampa metro area declined by 1.1 percentage points over the year, from 6.4 percent in March 2014 to 5.3 percent in March 2015. Florida businesses have added more than 841,000 private-sector jobs since December 2010.

Governor Scott said, "Each month we continue to see success throughout Florida, and today we are excited to announce the creation of 34,500 new jobs over the year in the Tampa Bay area. Statewide, Florida businesses have created more than 841,000 new jobs, putting us another step closer to our goal of becoming the number one destination for jobs."

The industries with the largest gain in jobs over the year the metro area were leisure and hospitality with 11,000 new jobs, education and health services with 7,800 new jobs, and trade, transportation, and utilities with 7,300 new jobs. The Tampa Bay MSA was first among the state metro areas in online job demand in March 2015 with 47,523 openings. The metro area was also first in the state in demand for high wage, high skill science technology engineering math (STEM) occupations with 13,837 openings in March.

Florida created 29,400 private-sector jobs in March 2015, and 841,100 total private-sector jobs since December 2010. Florida's statewide unemployment rate for March 2015 was 5.7 percent. In March, more than 37,400 Floridians were placed in jobs by CareerSource Central Florida, along with the state's other 23 Regional Workforce Boards.

Source