Tampa Bay added more jobs than any other metro area in Florida over the past year, while unemployment increased across the region and statewide, according to the state’s latest labor report.
The Tampa metropolitan division gained 11,800 jobs over the year, a 1.1% increase, the largest in Florida. The broader Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater MSA added about 14,400 jobs, or 0.9%.
The Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro posted a 4.6% unemployment rate in December 2025, up from 3.3% a year earlier. The Tampa division registered 4.7%, while the St. Petersburg-Clearwater-Largo division came in at 4.3%.
Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 4.3% in December, up from 4.2% in November and 3.4% a year earlier.
The state had 486,000 unemployed residents out of a labor force of more than 11.2 million.
Florida added 40,000 jobs over the year, a 0.4% increase, while total nonagricultural employment declined by 4,200 jobs from November to December.
Among Florida’s 25 metro areas, Tampa posted the largest annual job gain, followed by West Palm Beach, which added 5,800 jobs, and Jacksonville, which added 5,600.
Fifteen metro areas gained jobs over the year, while 10 lost jobs.
Hillsborough County recorded a 4.5% unemployment rate in December, while Pinellas County posted a 4.3% rate. Both are near the statewide rate of 4.4% on a not seasonally adjusted basis.
Education and health services added 51,400 jobs over the year, the largest increase among major sectors. Government added 3,300 jobs, while information and financial activities posted smaller gains.
Construction employment fell by 7,500 jobs, manufacturing declined by 3,000, and leisure and hospitality decreased by 2,500 over the year.
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