Sarasota continues outpacing state in jobs numbers

Sarasota County’s economy may have lost 824 jobs from January to February, but the local unemployment rate continues to outpace the state, and it’s the lowest it has been since August 2007.

The unemployment rate dipped to 5.1% last month, edging out Florida’s rate by five percentage points, and trouncing the numbers from the same month last year. The county has added 2,872 jobs overall since February 2014, when the unemployment rate sat at 6.1%.

The labor force has shrunk by 1,485 individuals since January this year, which explains the unemployment rate falling while the county lost jobs. Manatee and Charlotte counties both had a fewer jobseekers, which mirrors a trend predicted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Still, Sarasota County now has the 49th lowest unemployment rate of the 67 counties in the state, according to the latest statistics from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.

Permit data filed with Sarasota County follows a similar positive trend, with 14% more overall building permits issued in February compared to the same month last year.