Media Contact: Laura Byrnes, APR, CPRC
Director of Communications
Direct: 352.291.9559 Mobile: 352.816.1264
[email protected]

OCALA, Fla. (June 17, 2022) – The unemployment rate in the CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion region was 3.1% in May. This was 2.0 percentage points lower than the region’s year ago rate of 5.1%.

Across the three-county region, the labor force in May 2022 was 209,108, up 2,790 for an increase of 1.4% over the year. There were 6,436 unemployed residents in the region and 202,672 employed – the most people with jobs in May in the last five years; and 7,495 more than in February 2020 before the pandemic hit the area.

The last time the region’s employment numbers in May were near as good was in 2007 when the labor force was 209,106 and there were 200,612 employed but 8,494 unemployed.

Levy County continued to hold the lowest unemployment rate (2.8%) in the region followed by Marion County (3.0%) and Citrus County (3.5%). The rates in all three counties rose by 0.2 percentage points.

“While we continue to see historically low unemployment numbers, area businesses are growing and hiring and training at a very fast rate,” said Dale French, CareerSource CLM’s executive vice president. French added that CareerSource CLM offers a variety of upskilling services for both job seekers and businesses through online learning platforms and training grants.

French said one of the ways CareerSource CLM can help is to bring available talent together through job fairs, such as the Citrus County Job Fair set for Tuesday, June 21 from 3:30-5 p.m. at the College of Central Florida’s Citrus Campus in Lecanto.

“The job fair may take place in Citrus County, but it is open to any job seeker in our region and features 20 area businesses, all with multiple jobs to fill,” he said. “Our job fairs are offered at no charge. We also have a Healthcare and Human Services Job Fair planned for July 19 in Ocala. So there are lots of opportunities for anyone seeking good, gainful employment.”

State and local employment reports for June 2022 are scheduled for release on July 22, 2022.

For more, access the region’s jobs report from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity here: May 2022 Employment Overview

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Looking for a New Career? Here’s Help

CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion offers in-person job fairs, hiring events, workshops and facilities for job searches, training grants for eligible candidates, career development and one-on-one consulting – all at no charge to those seeking employment. Call 800-434-JOBS (5627) or visit careersourceclm.com to learn more. Career Centers are currently open to the public for in-person services from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

CareerSource CLM also provides fee-free services to help build and sustain businesses in today’s challenging marketplace. Services include recruitment, assessment, screening, and referrals of qualified job candidates; logistics, coordination, and promotion of customized hiring events; and grants and incentives for training new hires and existing employees. Call 800-746-9950 to learn more.

CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion is a member of CareerSource Florida and a proud partner of the American Job Center network. CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion is supported by the U.S. Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and other agencies as part of awards totaling $7.9 million (revised annually). Unless otherwise stipulated, all statements, news releases, requests for proposals, bid solicitations and other applicable documents are fully funded from federal sources. CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion is an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities and in Spanish. All voice telephone numbers listed above may be reached by persons using TTY/TDD equipment via the Florida Relay Service at 711. If you need accommodations, call 800-434-5627, ext. 7878 or e-mail [email protected]. Please make request at least three business days in advance. Stay connected with CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube,  and LinkedIn.