More Clearwater jobs were lost at the beginning of this year.
Although the area's January unemployment rate has not yet been released, Florida's rate as a whole increased from 11.7 percent to 11.9 percent, which is higher than the national rate of 9.7 percent. The Clearwater area had an unemployment rate of 12.4 during December 2009.
The Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area had a total non-farm employment of 1,113,900 workers during January, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is down from 1,128,200 workers during December and a 3.6 percent decrease from January 2009.
No industries managed to add jobs on a monthly basis. Employment in the mining and logging industry remained even over the month and year with 500 workers.
Two industries added jobs over the year. The education and health services industry employed 175,600 workers during January, down from 176,800 workers during December, but a 3.3 percent increase from last year. The government industry employed 157,600 workers during January, down from 157,900 workers during December, but a 1.3 percent increase from January 2009.
The construction industry took the biggest hit when compared to last year. The industry employed 53,700 workers during January, down from 55,600 workers during December and a 16 percent decrease from last year.
Other industries that saw an over-the-year decrease in employment include:
- manufacturing by 13.2 percent
- trade, transportation and utilities by 5.5 percent
- information by 7.7 percent
- financial activities by 3.6 percent
- professional and business services by 3.1 percent
- leisure and hospitality by 5.1 percent
- other services by 2.2 percent
