Department of Numbers

Lakeland-Winter Haven, Florida Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Lakeland rose 0.1 percentage points in November 2020 to 7.1%. 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 18.0% and is now 10.9 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 7.0% in October 2020, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.1 percentage points. You can also compare Lakeland unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate November 2020 Month/Month Year/Year
National 6.7% -0.2 +3.1
Florida 6.4% 0.0 +3.6
Lakeland 7.1% +0.1 +3.8
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with November 2020 data as December metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Lakeland, Florida, National

Lakeland, Florida monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Lakeland, Florida Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Lakeland peaked in May 2020 at 55,118. There are now 33,418 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 21,183 in October 2020, the number of unemployed has now grown by 517. Lakeland employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Lakeland, Florida) is also available.

Unemployed Persons November 2020 Month/Month Year/Year
Lakeland 21,700 +517 +11,415

Number of Unemployed Persons

Lakeland, Florida Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 Florida
Unemployment Rate		 Lakeland
Unemployment Rate		 Lakeland
Unemployed
December
2020		 6.7% — — —
November
2020		 6.7% 6.4% 7.1% 21,700
October
2020		 6.9% 6.4% 7.0% 21,183
September
2020		 7.8% 7.2% 7.8% 23,732
August
2020		 8.4% 7.3% 8.7% 26,981
July
2020		 10.2% 11.4% 12.8% 38,743
June
2020		 11.1% 10.3% 13.4% 40,333
May
2020		 13.3% 13.7% 18.0% 55,118
April
2020		 14.8% 13.8% 14.5% 41,650
March
2020		 4.4% 4.4% 5.1% 15,672
February
2020		 3.5% 2.8% 3.4% 10,595
January
2020		 3.5% 2.8% 3.4% 10,465

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. ↩

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