FloridaCommerce Announces Southwest Florida August 2025 Employment Data

FloridaCommerce Announces Cape-Coral Fort Myers Metro Area Government Sector Added 1,200 Jobs Over the Year in August 2025

NAPLES, Fla.-Today, FloridaCommerce announced that the Cape-Coral Fort Myers metro area government sector added 1,200 jobs over the year in August 2025. The area also gained the most jobs over the year in the education and health services sector, adding 1,100 jobs in August 2025. The Naples-Marco Island metro area education and health services sector added 500 jobs over the year in August 2025.

The Cape Coral-Fort Myers metro area private sector employment was up 800 jobs (+0.3%) and the Naples-Marco Island metro area private sector employment was up 300 jobs (+0.2%) in August 2025. The Cape Coral-Fort Myers metro area labor force was up 1,372 (+0.4%) over the year. The Naples-Marco Island metro area labor force was down 0.1% (-191) over the year. The Naples-Marco Island area's unemployment rate was 4.8% in August 2025, a 0.8 percentage point increase from the August 2024 rate of 4.0%. The Cape Coral-Ft. Myers area's unemployment rate was 4.8% in August 2025, a 0.8 percentage point increase from the August 2024 rate of 4.0%.

FloridaCommerce announced job growth across key industries in August 2025. The industries that gained the most jobs were the construction sector, adding 3,600 jobs; the information sector, adding 2,300 jobs; and the manufacturing sector, adding 1,700 jobs. This week, Lightcast released the 2025 Talent Attraction Scorecard, ranking Florida as the #1 state in the nation for attracting and developing a skilled workforce for the third consecutive year.The Talent Attraction Scorecard evaluates states based on job growth, education attainment, regional competitiveness and migration data.

Florida's private sector job growth rate has exceeded the national rate for 50 of the last 53 months since April 2021.Florida's total private sector employment increased by 85,400 (+1.0%) over the year in August 2025.

As of August 2025, Florida employers have added jobs in 58 of the last 64 months since May 2020. Florida's statewide unemployment rate was 3.8 percent in August 2025 and hasbeen lower than the national rate for 59 consecutive months since November 2020.

Resources for Job Seekers:

• Florida's Labor Exchange Marketplace, Employ Florida, connects job seekers to employment, training and education and job creators to skilled talent.
• CareerSource Florida's network of local career centers offers tailored career counseling, skills assessments, resume assistance and job placement support.
• Apprentice Florida is a partnership between the Florida Department of Education, FloridaCommerce and CareerSource Florida to expand apprenticeship programs across the state.
• Veterans Florida works to help military veterans transition to civilian life, connecting them with employers who are eager to hire them for jobs that align with the skills they gained serving in the military.
• The Military Family Employment Advocacy Program delivers priority workforce services to active-duty military spouses and family members through Military Family Employment Advocates located in local career centers throughout Florida.
• The Military Spousal License Reciprocity Matrix, a one-stop reference source for helping military spouses transfer, renew or reissue professional licenses they need for work after relocating to Florida.
• The FloridaCommerce Talent Pipeline Portal for Aerospace and Defense, a career advancement platform that connects job seekers and job creators within the aerospace and defense industry - propelling Florida forward.

Data in the month of August continues to indicate there are jobs available for every Floridian who wants to work, with more than 459,000 jobs posted online. Floridians in search of work and new job opportunities can utilize the CareerSource Florida network for help. Floridians can find guidance on how to register with Employ Florida and search listings of available local job openings. Career seekers also can improve their employability by perfecting resume writing and interviewing skills, establishing career goals and pursuing customized career training. These services are provided at no cost to job seekers.

To view the August 2025 jobs reports by region, please see below:

To view August 2025 employment data, click here.

Visit Florida Insight for more information on the labor market and economic data. Additionally, FloridaCommerce has provided a video to assist users in explaining the data provided through Florida Insight.

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