Lakeland-Winter Haven, Florida Unemployment
The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Lakeland fell 0.0 percentage points in September 2023 to 3.5%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.7 percentage points higher than the Florida rate. The unemployment rate in Lakeland peaked in May 2020 at 18.2% and is now 14.7 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 3.1% in October 2022, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.4 percentage points. You can also compare Lakeland unemployment with unemployment in other cities.
| Unemployment Rate | September 2023 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | 3.8% | 0.0 | +0.3 |
| Florida | 2.8% | +0.1 | +0.1 |
| Lakeland | 3.5% | 0.0 | +0.3 |
Unemployment Rate: Lakeland, Florida, National
Note: Recessions shown in gray.
Lakeland, Florida Unemployed
The number of people unemployed in Lakeland peaked in May 2020 at 60,296. There are now 47,999 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 10,518 in January 2023, the number of unemployed has now grown by 1,779. Lakeland employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Lakeland, Florida) is also available.
| Unemployed Persons | September 2023 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeland | 12,297 | +251 | +1,477 |
Number of Unemployed Persons
Lakeland, Florida Unemployment History
| Date | National Unemployment Rate |
Florida Unemployment Rate |
Lakeland Unemployment Rate |
Lakeland Unemployed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2023 |
3.9% | 2.8% | — | — |
| September 2023 |
3.8% | 2.8% | 3.5% | 12,297 |
| August 2023 |
3.8% | 2.7% | 3.5% | 12,046 |
| July 2023 |
3.5% | 2.7% | 3.4% | 11,799 |
| June 2023 |
3.6% | 2.6% | 3.3% | 11,553 |
| May 2023 |
3.7% | 2.6% | 3.3% | 11,303 |
| April 2023 |
3.4% | 2.6% | 3.2% | 10,937 |
| March 2023 |
3.5% | 2.6% | 3.1% | 10,794 |
| February 2023 |
3.6% | 2.6% | 3.1% | 10,561 |
| January 2023 |
3.4% | 2.6% | 3.1% | 10,518 |
| December 2022 |
3.5% | 2.7% | 3.2% | 10,780 |
| November 2022 |
3.6% | 2.7% | 3.1% | 10,752 |
1. Metro area unemployment rates are now seasonally adjusted. The BLS has started publishing smoothed seasonally adjusted metropolitan area data which makes comparisons to state and national data more relevant than the unadjusted numbers. ↩
Department of Numbers
The Department of Numbers contextualizes public data so that individuals can form independent opinions on everyday social and economic matters.
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