Tallahassee, FL – January was a good month for job creation in Florida.
Gov. Rick Scott said Tuesday that Florida added more private-sector jobs than any other state in the first month of the year, marking the 21st consecutive month the state has topped Texas. January saw a growth rate of 3.6 percent, with 50,700 new positions.
The increase has also impacted the price of housing in the state, the Governor says.
“As more and more companies choose to invest in our state, we also continue to see improvements in other parts of the economy, such as the housing market,” Scott said, adding that Florida must continue to attract businesses to the state. “We must keep fighting for Florida jobs and investing in proven tools that help our economy like Enterprise Florida and VISIT FLORIDA.”
Florida led the nation in job gains in professional and business services, Scott said, as well as construction and manufacturing over-the-year in January. Moreover, the statewide median sales price for single-family homes in January was $220,000, up 10.1 percent from the previous year’s median price of $199,900.
In January, 10,023 new building permits were issued in Florida, accounting for 12 percent of all U.S. building permits. These numbers are according to the Governor's office.
The job creation and housing market developments have drawn praise from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. “Now is a great time for job seekers to find their dream job in Florida,” executive director Cissy Proctor said. “Our strong, diversified job growth highlights the critical importance of investing in job creation tools to ensure every Florida family can prosper.”
Echoing the Governor, Proctor advocated for the continued investment in Enterprise Florida and VISIT FLORIDA to sustain growth.
