Northeast Florida Monthly Employment ReportJanuary/February 2026

FloridaCommerce has announced that the unemployment rate for the Jacksonville region was 5.1 percent in February 2026 – down from 5.3 percent in January 2026.

Of the 872,122 people counted as the area’s labor force in February, there were 44,400 unemployed residents in the region – down from 45,696 unemployed residents the previous month.

Northeast Florida February 2026 Unemployment Statistics by County

Source: FloridaCommerce (not seasonally adjusted)

                        

                         Regional Employment Update

In February, Nassau County had the lowest unemployment rate in the region (4.9 percent), followed by Baker County (5.0 percent), St. Johns County (5.0), Clay County (5.1 percent) and Putnam County (6.1 percent).

The industries that gained the most jobs over the year were Education and Health Services (+2,600 jobs); Leisure and Hospitality (+1,800 jobs); and Manufacturing (+200). Other Services (+300). The top-three industries losing jobs over the year were Government (-2,900 jobs); Financial Activities (2,600 jobs); and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (-1,400 jobs).

The current top-five most-advertised job occupations among all industries in the region included retail salespersons (1,350 positions), registered nurses (1040), first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers (968), first-line supervisors of retail salespersons (952 positions), fast food and counter workers (950).