Jobs Up By 32,000 In Tampa Bay Area

TALLAHASEE, FL — The Tampa Bay area saw 32,600 new, private-sector jobs added to its economy over the past year. That’s according to figures released by Gov. Rick Scott’s office on Friday. The numbers represent jobs added over the year in November.

The Tampa area also “remains first in the state for online job demand,” Scott said in a statement. “This great news shows that more families in Tampa Bay are able to find the opportunities they need to succeed in the Sunshine State.”

The Tampa Bay area’s unemployment rate was 4.7 percent in November, Scott said. All told, 31,600 private-sector jobs were added across the state in November alone. The total number of jobs added since December 2010 now sits at 1,266,900, Scott said.

While jobs have been added in many sectors in the Tampa Bay area over the past year, a few industries saw the biggest gains. They are:

• Professional and business services – 8,800 new jobs
• Trade, transportation and utilities – 6,800 new jobs
• Construction – 5,900 new jobs
• Leisure and hospitality – 5,200 new jobs

“The Tampa area was first among the state metros in job demand in November with 47,160 openings,” Scott’s statement said. “The Tampa area also remained first in the state in demand for high-skill, high-wage STEM occupations with 15,124 openings in November.”

The Tampa Bay area was not the leader in job gains year over year. Orlando gets that honor with 50,900 jobs added over the year in November. The Miami area came in sharply behind the two with about 18,000 new jobs added over the year.

The state’s unemployment rate was 4.9 percent in November. The state’s annual job growth rate of 3.5 percent also exceeds the nation’s rate of 1.7 percent.

Looking for a job in the Tampa Bay area? Be sure to visit your local Patch’s Jobs Boards.

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