PANAMA CITY — Bay County's unemployment rate remained flat last month and the area's labor force declined, according to figures released by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) Friday.
Sluggish job growth in November kept the area's unemployment at 5.8 percent, though the figure shows improvement from the 6.4 percent unemployment rate recorded a year ago.
Bay County's labor force also declined by about 1,000 between October and November, with a reported labor force of 88,579 residents, 83,409 of which were employed last month.
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Despite an unchanged unemployment rate, officials with CareerSource Gulf Coast praised the region's growth industries, which included a 2.8 percent gain in manufacturing employment, the fastest growth in manufacturing seen in the state.
“The job growth in manufacturing is wonderful news for us,” said Kim Bodine, executive director of CareerSource Gulf Coast, citing recent record-breaking contracts at Berg Steel Pipe in Panama City. “Berg's new contracts have helped that growth tremendously and we have openings with other manufacturers as well."
Bodine said over the last two years, the workforce agency has been working with Gulf Coast State College to provide training programs for those seeking manufacturing jobs in the area with the help of a Florida TRADE grant.
“These kinds of programs and opportunities are critical to the region,” she said. “The college did a great job in pursuing the grant and working with area businesses to get the ball rolling. We have supported the grant with training dollars and recruitment for candidates.”
Other job growth industries in the area were observed in trade transportation and utilities, professional and business services, mining, logging and construction, and leisure and hospitality.
"The uptick in construction, and professional/business services are positives for us as well," Bodine said. "Growth in these industries — particularly construction and manufacturing — will have a big positive impact on our local economy.”
Some industries in the Panama City-Lynn Haven- Panama City Beach metro area lost jobs, including education and health services, financial activities and government.
Statewide, the unemployment rate also clocked in at 5.8 percent, down from 6 percent the previous month and 6.5 percent one year ago.
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Overall, there were nearly 7.9 million non-agricultural workers in the state in November, an increase of nearly 42,000 jobs for the month and about 230,000 for the year.
Gov. Rick Scott announced Friday a private sector job gain of 715,700 over the last four years, surpassing his seven-year goal of creating 700,000 jobs three years early.
“Four years ago, we unveiled an ambitious plan to fix Florida’s economy and turn the state around," Scott said in a press release. "I applaud our job creators across the state who sacrifice and work hard to create new jobs. Every job impacts a family and we will keep working each day to make Florida the world’s number one destination for jobs.”