Florida’s labor market cooled slightly in August, but the Florida Chamber says the broader picture still points to a resilient, growing economy. And a persistent worker shortage.
In the September edition of “Florida By The Numbers,” Florida Chamber Foundation Senior Research Economist Sheridan Morby said payrolls dipped modestly month over month while remaining above 10 million jobs — larger than the total population of 40 U.S. states.
Over the year, Florida continued to add jobs, and the state remains a national engine for employment, responsible for roughly one in every 11 jobs created annually nationwide.
Unemployment ticked up by 0.1 percentage points, landing at 3.8% for August. Even so, the state remains short on workers. Morby cited data estimating there are 93 Floridians seeking work for every 100 open positions. While there is a minor mismatch overall at the state level, the job market varies significantly county to county. For instance, Leon County’s shortage exceeds the state’s, while Lafayette County currently has more job seekers than employers have available positions.
Housing shows the same regional split. Statewide, the median listing price sits just under $430,000, which is roughly in line with the U.S. median. Among the growth leaders projected through 2030 — Orange, Hillsborough and Miami-Dade — Orange and Hillsborough track near the state figure, while Miami-Dade is closer to $600,000. Hillsborough has seen the fastest run-up since early 2019, with prices up more than 60% compared to about 30% statewide and in Orange and Miami-Dade counties.
National policy makers nudged in a supportive direction: The Federal Reserve delivered its first interest-rate cut of 2025, trimming 25 basis points after a softer-than-expected national jobs report and flat inflation in August. Morby cautioned that most of the drop in borrowing costs tied to the rate cut had already occurred in anticipation of the Federal Reserve’s decision.
The September edition of “Florida By The Numbers” video is available on the Florida Chamber’s website and on YouTube. Viewers can also subscribe to the Florida Chamber YouTube Channel to receive alerts when new episodes are posted.
The “Florida By The Numbers” series will return in October. Until then, business leaders and the economically curious alike can find fast facts on the state’s economy by visiting The Florida Scorecard, which the Chamber frequently updates as new data becomes available.
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