PANAMA CITY — Bay County is facing slower economic growth than the state as a whole, which made measurable gains last month, according to figures released Friday by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO).
The Bay County labor force declined in December, while the area’s unemployment rate dropped slightly from 5.9 to 5.8 percent. Florida’s annual job growth rate was 3 percent, but the Panama City metro area lagged at less than half a percent.
Kim Bodine, executive director of CareerSource Gulf Coast, chalked the area’s slow growth last month to seasonality.
“Soon our tourism industry will be ramping up for North Florida’s season, and we will see a decrease in the unemployment rate,” Bodine said. “In the meantime, we’ve assisted in placing hundreds of workers in jobs with General Dynamics, and that helps folks immensely. It’s an opportunity for them to gain income when they otherwise might be displaced. The temporary jobs at General Dynamics normally end about the time our tourist season begins.”
CareerSourceGulf Coast is a regional organization providing services to job seekers and employees in Bay, Gulf and Franklin counties. Bodine cited a series of hiring events scheduled in the coming months, including a Hospitality Job Fair on Feb. 10 at Gulf Coast State College and the annual Bay County Job Fair on Feb. 27 at Haney Technical Center.
Overall, the county’s labor force dipped from 88,583 in November to 86,967 in December, while the number of residents considered unemployed also fell from 5,209 to 5,048. The unemployment rate does not factor in discouraged job seekers, or those who have stopped looking for work.
Statewide, the unemployment rate also dropped from 5.8 to 5.6 percent, matching the national unemployment rate in December.
Florida added 11,500 private-sector jobs last month, a number praised by Gov. Rick Scott. According to DEO, Florida’s annual job growth rate has outpaced the nation since April 2012.
“Today we are excited to announce that Florida businesses added 11,500 private-sector jobs in December, for a total of 728,500 private-sector jobs created in only four years, and we look forward to seeing even more businesses grow and create jobs for families across the state,” Scott said in a news release Friday. “As we prepare to release our 2015-2016 ‘Keep Florida Working’ budget recommendations, we will stay laser-focused on our goal of making Florida the global destination for business and job creation.”
Bay County Labor Force employment unemployment level unemployment rate
December 2014 86,967 81,919 5,048 5.8
November 2014 88,583 83,374 5,209 5.9
December 2013 86,809 81,477 5,332 6.1
Dec. 2014 Nov. 2014 Dec. 2013
Bay 5.8 5.9 6.1
Calhoun 5.7 5.9 5.6
Franklin 5.5 5.5 5.3
Gulf 5.5 5.7 6.2
Holmes 5.2 5.5 5.2
Jackson 4.8 5.1 4.8
Walton 3.8 3.9 4.0
Washington 6.7 7.0 7.0