Rising Unemployment Hits North Central Florida: County-by-County Breakdown

Union County, Florida, USA - As of June 2025, the job market in North Central Florida is showing signs of concern with rising unemployment rates across the region. Recent reports indicate a consistent climb in joblessness, with all counties experiencing increases. WCJB reports that the statewide jobless rate remained steady at 3.7% month-to-month, but local figures tell a different story.

Specifically, Alachua County saw an uptick in its unemployment rate from 4.1% in May to 4.7% in June. Columbia County joined the trend, rising to 4.7% as well, up 0.5% from the previous month. Marion County isn’t far behind with an unemployment rate of 4.9%, while Union County unfortunately leads the pack with a notable rate of 5.3%. On the brighter side, Gilchrist County boasted the lowest unemployment rate in the area, holding steady at 4%.

The Local Landscape

Breaking down the details further, here are the unemployment rates for June and May 2025 by county:

While the statewide rate stands relatively low at 3.4%, Fox 35 Orlando reveals that many Floridians still face significant barriers when navigating the unemployment insurance system. Even with jobless rates lower than the national average of 4.2%, lengthy call waits and delayed benefits have been the norm for many claimants.

A stark illustration is the experience of Richard Wise, who filed for unemployment after being laid off in August only to endure a four-month wait for benefits. His claim stalled as „pending adjudication,“ forcing him to make over 50 phone calls to try to resolve the situation, with little assistance received. Such obstacles highlight criticisms directed at the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) for poor management. State Rep. Anna Eskamani has lamented that Florida’s unemployment system is among the worst in the nation. Yet, steps are underway to improve it, with a bill in 2022 aimed at moving to a cloud-based system, hoping for enhancements to come in 2025.

Looking Ahead

Maintaining economic health is essential for Florida, as demonstrated by the latest figures. According to the Florida Governor’s office, in July 2024, the state’s unemployment rate was a mere 3.3%, less than the national rate of 4.3%. Florida’s job market has even shown an increase of 201,500 private sector jobs since July 2023. Economic stability is key, and sectors such as leisure, hospitality, and construction have continued to contribute to job growth.

If anyone is thinking about job hunting, CareerSource Florida provides free resources to assist residents with everything from resume writing to interview preparation. With over 433,000 job openings posted online, opportunities are out there, just waiting to be tapped into.

As we move forward, addressing the issues within the unemployment system is crucial, ensuring that residents not only have jobs available but also the support they need when times get tough. After all, when unemployment rises, it’s the community that must come together to lift one another up.