Labor Market Information

Source: FloridaCommerce Bureau of Workforce Statistics and Economic Research

Polk County’s Unemployment Rate (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

The unemployment rate in the CareerSource Polk region (Polk County) was 4.5 percent in
February 2025. This rate was 0.6 percentage point greater than the region’s year ago rate of
3.9 percent. The region’s February 2025 unemployment rate was 0.8 percentage point above the state rate of 3.7 percent. The labor force was 357,689, up 2,240 (+0.6 percent) over the year. There were 16,150 unemployed residents in the region.

To view a detailed report, click here.

The February 2025 preliminary employment summary will take place on March 28, 2025. To view the full data release schedule, click here.

Polk County Nonagricultural Employment

In February 2025, nonagricultural employment in the Lakeland-Winter Haven MSA was 277,200, an increase of 1,700 jobs (+0.6 percent) over the year.

To view an interactive graph of Florida’s total nonagricultural employment, click here.

The Education and Health Services (+2.9 percent); Government (+2.3 percent); and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (+1.9 percent) industries grew faster in the metro area than statewide over the year.

The Lakeland-Winter Haven MSA had the fastest annual job growth rate compared to all the metro areas in the state in Education and Health Services (+2.9 percent); Government (+2.3 percent); and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (+1.9 percent) industries.

The industries gaining jobs over the year were:

• Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (+1,400 jobs)
• Education and Health Services (+1,200 jobs)
• Government (+700 jobs)
• Other Services (+100 jobs)

The industries losing jobs over the year were:

• Professional and Business Services (-800 jobs)
• Leisure and Hospitality (-500 jobs)
• Financial Activities (-300 jobs)
• Mining, Logging, and Construction (-100 jobs)

The Information and Manufacturing industries were unchanged in jobs over the year.

Polk County’s Online Job Advertisements

The Florida Online Job Demand tool delivers data produced by Help Wanted OnLine (HWOL) to measure real-time labor demand captured through online job ads. Features will allow users to explore the top jobs, including STEM related occupations, that are in demand across the state. 

To view the Florida Online Job Demand Tool, click here. To view the data for Polk County, select CareerSource Polk (17) from the Select Area dropdown menu.

 ***The Conference Board has made a comprehensive revision of the Help Wanted OnLine (HWOL) data series. These series are now based on a different and improved universe, and as a result, the trend in these series have also improved. The HWOL data series has been revised back to January 2012. The data displayed in the Florida Online Job Demand Tool have been updated to reflect the revised HWOL data at both the state and Local Workforce Development Areas.

For more information click here.

Regional Labor Supply Dashboard

The labor supply dashboard is designed to assist economic/workforce development with business recruitment.  It helps to answer the questions from employers concerning labor availability and make-up within a certain area.  The educational and occupational mix of workers is critical for a business to make a location decision.

To view Polk County’s Regional Labor Supply Dashboard click here. To view the data for Polk County, select CareerSource Polk (17) from the Select An Area dropdown menu.

Florida’s Minimum Wage

September 30, 2024, Florida’s minimum wage increased to $13.00 per hour, with a minimum wage of at least $9.98 per hour for tipped employees, in addition to tips.

The 2025 minimum wage in Florida is set to increase to $14.00 per hour by September 30, 2025. It will increase to $15.00 per hour after September 30, 2025, $16.00 after September 2026. The $1.00 increase will occur every year after September 30 until 2026.

The required posters for minimum wage along with Federal and State of Florida employment law posters may be accessed by clicking here.