The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ monthly jobs report shows Southwest Florida with both decline and growth in number of jobs.
Over the 12-month period ending in March 2025, total nonfarm jobs in the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, metro area shrank by 0.1 percent. Punta Gorda and Naples also saw job losses – at .2 percent for Punta Gorda and .5 percent for Naples.
The news was better for Sarasota, with a jobs increase of .9 percent.
The Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area also grew in jobs by .9 percent. That’s compared with a statewide Florida average of 1.4 percent growth.
Florida’s growth was a bit higher than the nation’s. Job growth over the past 12 months was 1.2 percent nationally.
Specific sectors/SWFL
The real estate and rental and leasing sector in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area lost about 400 jobs over the 12 months ending in March 2025. That’s a decrease of 1.2 percent. The total number of people employed in real estate and rental and leasing sector in this area is 31,900.
The construction sector in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater gained about 3,100 jobs during the same 12-month period. That’s equivalent to an increase of 3.3 percent. Since 2019, employment in this sector has grown by 20.8 percent. The number of people employed in this sector in this area as of March 2025 is 96,900.
The mining, logging and construction sector proved better news for Cape Coral-Fort Myers. That area gained about 200 jobs over the past 12 months. That’s equivalent to an increase of .5 percent. Since 2019, employment in the sector has grown by 34.6 percent. The number of people employed in mining, logging and construction in Cape Coral-Fort Myers is 43,200.
While there was little change in the leisure and hospitality sector for Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater with a gain of .2 percent, Southwest Florida was down year-over year, with 4.4 percent job losses in North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, 6.3 percent decline in Naples-Marco Island, 7.6 percent down in Cape Coral-Fort Myers and 8.2 percent down in Punta Gorda.
Statewide news
Florida ranked fifth among the states in job-growth rate in the federal government sector over the past 12 months. Employment there grew by 1.9 percent, which is a gain of about 3,100 employees.
Florida also ranked fifth among the states in the growth rate for the wholesale trade sector. Employment there grew by 2.3 percent, which is a gain of about 9,000 employees.
Statewide sectors of interest
Florida’s leisure and hospitality sector gained about 1,500 jobs from December 2024 to March 2025, for a rise of .1 percent. Looking back further, employment in the sector grew by the same amount -- .1 percent – over the year ending March 2025. Nationally, the sector was up 1.3 percent over that time.
Florida’s health care and social assistance sector gained about 13,600 jobs from December 2024 to March 2025; that’s a rise of 1 percent. Looking back further, employment in the sector grew by 2.9 percent over the 12 months ending in March 2025. Nationally, the sector was up 3.9 percent during that time.
The information in this report was based on research provided by APM Research Lab and Marketplace and data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and released April 29.
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