- May 5, 2024
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Flagler County had a 3.7% unemployment in December, matching the national average and 0.7% higher than Florida’s average, according to data from the Florida Department of Commerce.
At the end of 2022, the county had an unemployment rate of 2.7% according to a January 2023 press release from the Palm Coast-Flagler Regional Chamber of Commerce. Despite the increase from last year, Chamber President and CEO Greg Blosé said he’s not worried.
It’s important, Blosé said, to keep in mind the context surrounding numbers like this.
“December is generally going to be the month when the holiday shopping season jobs have let out,” he said.
Data from Florida Commerce shows Flagler County had an unemployment rate that overall ranged between 3.2% and 4%, where the rate peaked in September, with the lowest rate a 2.9% in April.
Blosé said it’s also difficult to expect low unemployment rates when the city and county are just beginning to have conversations about economic development incentives.
“Most of this year, we had an unemployment rate that was considered to be full employment,” he said. “There was an uptick, but it’s part of the national conversation.”
National issues like high interest rates and inflation, and the rising cost of goods also play a hand in the local unemployment numbers, he said.
“When consumer sentiment is poor, and when interest rates are high, and inflation is high, that's going to affect the person's ability to travel, or make major investments and that's what [Flagler County] is all about,” Blosé said.
Most jobs in Flagler County’s economy are based in retail and tourism, or healthcare. Considering that, he said, it is not surprising that Flagler County has a higher average than the state average and matching the national rate.
"But it also doesn't indicate that you have an unhealthy economy, either," Blosé said. "I mean, 3.7% is not bad. You don't have to go that far back to see how high it could really go."
