Florida's labor market: aerospace hiring, a $15.00 floor, and more candidates than a year ago.
C3 Workforce publishes labor market research for the markets our clients and candidates ask about most. Here is Florida, on the July 2026 data: the numbers, the Space Coast and Jacksonville plants that are growing, the closures that are freeing up workers, what employers pay, and what changes on September 30, 2026.
Sources: FloridaCommerce, Florida Labor Market Update, July 2026, released August 2026; BLS Economy at a Glance, Florida, July 2026 preliminary; Florida Constitution Article X Section 24 and U.S. Department of Labor state minimum wage table, July 1, 2026.
What is happening in Florida right now.
Seven things the data says, with sources. Florida's unemployment rate has risen the most of any state in our research, and its manufacturing base is the one that is growing, so both stories get their numbers.
Start with the rate. Florida's unemployment rate was 4.6 percent in July 2026, down 0.1 from June but up 0.7 points from 3.9 percent in July 2025 and 0.5 points above the U.S. rate of 4.1 percent. It has been above the national rate since spring 2026. Nonfarm payrolls were 10,037,300, up 4,500 over the month and 41,000 (0.4 percent) over the year. The growth sat in education and health services, up 35,800; professional and business services, up 13,600; and leisure and hospitality, up 13,200. Financial activities lost 13,600 and government 13,100. For employers, that combination means more available candidates than at any point since 2023.
Sources: FloridaCommerce, Florida Labor Market Update, July 2026, released August 2026; BLS Economy at a Glance, Florida, July 2026 preliminary; Florida Trend, May 4, 2026.
Manufacturing is the goods sector that is growing. Manufacturing employment was 430,400 in July 2026, up 4,200 (1.0 percent) over the year, while construction was 658,400 (up 0.4 percent) and trade, transportation and utilities 1,992,700 (up 0.2 percent). The growth is uneven by metro: Jacksonville manufacturing rose 2.2 percent to 37,300, the Space Coast (Palm Bay Melbourne Titusville) 1.9 percent to 36,600, Tampa 1.2 percent to 74,400 and Miami 0.8 percent to 101,800, while Orlando was flat at 53,200. Average hourly earnings for all private employees were $36.02 in July.
Sources: BLS Economy at a Glance, Florida and metro areas, July 2026 preliminary; BLS CES series SMU12000000500000003 via FRED, July 2026.
The Space Coast is building factories, not just launch pads. Blue Origin is putting $600 million into an 830,000 square foot upper stage manufacturing facility at Rocket Park on the Cape Canaveral Spaceport, 500 new aerospace jobs, with support from the state's Spaceport Improvement Program; Space Florida put the company's Florida headcount at about 4,000 across 11 sites in May 2026 and Florida Today reported more than 4,500 Space Coast jobs by August 31. Blue Origin also plans a $160 million payload facility. Relativity Space is adding a Terran R production facility and test and launch infrastructure at the Cape with up to $134 million in state spaceport support and a commitment of thousands of jobs by the end of 2034. Florida was named one of seven NASA designated aerospace workforce hubs in August 2026, and Space Florida is weighing $277 million more to support SpaceX, Blue Origin and Brevard growth.
Sources: Space Florida and Office of the Governor, May 22, 2026; Florida Today, August 28 and 31 and September 13, 2026; Space Florida, July 21 and August 21, 2026; Orlando Sentinel, July 22, 2026.
Jacksonville is the fastest growing manufacturing metro in the state. Johnson & Johnson is investing more than $1 billion to expand contact lens production, supporting 3,500 jobs. Southeast Toyota Distributors opened a new JAXPORT vehicle facility with more than 400 jobs, JAXPORT's $60 million Berth 21 vehicle handling project passed its halfway point, and the port's Jax Forward strategy commits $250 million to modernization. The state added $7 million for a Cecil Field defense training hub in a $23.5 million defense push announced September 1, 2026. The churn is real too: Enkei America closed its Jacksonville wheel plant in August, 62 workers, citing labor challenges and rising costs.
Sources: News4JAX and Manufacturing Dive, June 15 to 16, 2026; Action News Jax, April 30, 2026; JAXPORT, June 1, 2026; News4JAX and Jacksonville Business Journal, February 26, 2026; Florida Times Union and Hoodline, September 1, 2026; FloridaCommerce WARN list and Florida Times Union, June 24 to July 8, 2026.
Tampa Bay and Orlando are trading logistics jobs for construction and defense. Port Tampa Bay broke ground on its fourth cruise terminal in August 2026, the first new terminal in 25 years, after handling its largest containership in April. Along I 4, the distribution closures are stacking up: Freight Handlers is closing five Lakeland and Sarasota sites (151 to 168 workers), Saddle Creek cut 178, a Lakeland logistics facility cut 203 in February, and Polk State College won a $2 million state grant to launch a commercial driving program in response. In Orlando, Lockheed Martin's Missiles and Fire Control and Rotary and Mission Systems units anchor a defense base that ramped production in 2026, while Frito Lay's plant closure (500 jobs) and DHL's Kissimmee closure (200) worked through. Mercury Marine opened Plant 7 in St. Cloud in March.
Sources: Business Observer, August 3, 2026; Maritime Executive, April 10, 2026; FloridaCommerce WARN list, July 20 and August 17, 2026; Lakeland Ledger, February 12, 2026; Polk State College and FloridaCommerce, August 31, 2026; Orlando Business Journal, April 15, 2026; Food Dive, November 7, 2025; FOX 35 Orlando, February 11, 2026; Boating Industry, March 5, 2026.
The candidate pool grew by one airline. Spirit Airlines' shutdown put 5,853 Florida workers on WARN notices in May 2026: 2,529 in Fort Lauderdale, 1,592 in Orlando, 551 in Dania Beach and 181 in Miami, the largest 2026 layoff in the state. Amazon's Port St. Lucie renovation releases 494 associates between September 17 and December 17, 2026. Kroger's automated fulfillment center closures cost nearly 1,500 Florida jobs, including 1,230 in one filing. Defense contractor turnover released 220 Astrion technicians at Eglin and Patrick Air Force Bases on September 30 and 97 from COLSA at Eglin. Jabil is closing a Florida site with 103 jobs and Peterson Brands closed its Fort Myers juice plant with 135. Miami, at 3.7 percent, remains the tightest metro in Florida.
Sources: FloridaCommerce REACT WARN list, 2026; Palm Beach Post and Sun Sentinel, May 2026; Treasure Coast News, July 20, 2026; Florida Times Union, November 19, 2025; MD+DI, June 10, 2026; News Press, April 29, 2026; BLS Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment, July 2026 preliminary.
The rules change on September 30, 2026, and the outlook is soft. Florida's minimum wage rises from $14.00 to $15.00 an hour under Article X Section 24 of the state constitution, with the tipped cash wage moving to $11.98, and from September 30, 2027 the rate indexes to inflation. Private employers with 25 or more employees have run new hires through E Verify since July 1, 2023, with $1,000 per day fines after repeat failures since July 1, 2024. On the outlook, Florida TaxWatch projects real GDP growth slowing from 2.5 percent in 2026 to 1.9 percent in 2027, unemployment rising toward a 4.8 percent peak in 2028, net in migration of about 895 people a day in 2026, and tourism growth falling to 0.8 percent in 2027. The Atlanta Fed's July Beige Book described Sixth District employment as flat to slightly lower, wage growth at 2 to 3 percent, and hiring concentrated in health care and data center construction.
Sources: U.S. Department of Labor state minimum wage table, July 1, 2026; Florida Constitution Article X Section 24; Florida Statutes section 448.095; Florida TaxWatch, Florida Economic Forecast 2026 to 2035, Q1 2026 edition, June 11, 2026; Federal Reserve Beige Book, Sixth District, July 15, 2026.
Jacksonville to Miami, and the Space Coast between.
Where the plants are and how each metro is running, July 2026.
Florida's industrial map runs down I 95 and across I 4. Jacksonville (800,200 payroll jobs) has JAXPORT, Johnson & Johnson's contact lens plant, IKO's new Clay County roofing plant and the Cecil Field training hub. Ninety miles south on I 95, the Space Coast (258,100 jobs) has Blue Origin, Relativity Space and SpaceX at Cape Canaveral, L3Harris headquartered in Melbourne, Embraer's Melbourne assembly plant, and a 376,000 square foot aerospace facility that broke ground in Melbourne in July 2026. Orlando (1,499,200 jobs) is Lockheed Martin's Missiles and Fire Control and Rotary and Mission Systems, plus the I 4 distribution belt toward Kissimmee and Lakeland.
Sources: BLS Economy at a Glance, Jacksonville, Palm Bay Melbourne Titusville and Orlando, July 2026 preliminary; News4JAX, June 15, 2026; Jacksonville Daily Record, June 18, 2026; Space Florida, May 22 and July 21, 2026; Orlando Business Journal, July 14, 2026.
Tampa Bay (1,542,900 jobs) is Port Tampa Bay, the medical device and electronics plants around St. Petersburg, and the Lakeland distribution corridor on I 4, where a $2 million state grant is funding a new CDL program at Polk State College. Miami Fort Lauderdale West Palm Beach (2,948,900 jobs) is the largest job market in the state and the tightest at 3.7 percent unemployment; Pratt & Whitney's military engine plant and test site in West Palm Beach and Sikorsky are its aerospace anchors, and Spirit Airlines' Fort Lauderdale and Dania Beach shutdowns put more than 3,000 aviation workers into the South Florida market this year. In the Panhandle, Williams International's $1 billion aviation engine plant in Okaloosa County (330 jobs) and defense contractors around Eglin Air Force Base round out the state.
Sources: BLS Economy at a Glance, Tampa St. Petersburg Clearwater and Miami Fort Lauderdale West Palm Beach, July 2026 preliminary; Polk State College, August 31, 2026; BLS Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment, July 2026 preliminary; FloridaCommerce WARN list, May 4, 2026; Northwest Florida Daily News, May 30, 2025.
| Metro area | Unemployment, July 2026 | July 2025 | Payroll jobs, July 2026 | Change over year | Manufacturing jobs | Trade, transportation and utilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami Fort Lauderdale West Palm Beach | 3.7% | 3.5% | 2,948,900 | up 0.5% | 101,800 (up 0.8%) | 648,900 (down 0.1%) |
| Tampa St. Petersburg Clearwater | 4.8% | 4.1% | 1,542,900 | up 0.6% | 74,400 (up 1.2%) | 277,700 (down 0.5%) |
| Orlando Kissimmee Sanford | 4.7% | 4.1% | 1,499,200 | up 1.1% | 53,200 (flat) | 264,900 (down 1.3%) |
| Jacksonville | 4.9% | 4.3% | 800,200 | up 0.4% | 37,300 (up 2.2%) | 170,400 (up 0.4%) |
| Palm Bay Melbourne Titusville (Space Coast) | 4.9% | 4.3% | 258,100 | up 0.2% | 36,600 (up 1.9%) | 40,900 (flat) |
| Florida, seasonally adjusted | 4.6% | 3.9% | 10,037,300 | up 0.4% | 430,400 (up 1.0%) | 1,992,700 (up 0.2%) |
Sources: BLS Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment, July 2026 preliminary, not seasonally adjusted (metro rates); BLS Economy at a Glance, Florida and the five metro areas, July 2026 preliminary (payroll, manufacturing and trade, transportation and utilities jobs); FloridaCommerce, July 2026 (state rate). Metro rates are not seasonally adjusted, the state rate is.
What employers in Florida pay, BLS medians.
Market benchmarks, not C3 pay rates. Hourly, statewide, the ten occupations our clients hire most, with the U.S. median for comparison. Florida forklift operators earn above the national median, the only one of the ten roles where the state leads.
| Occupation (SOC) | 10th | Median | 90th | Annual median | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laborers and material movers (53 7062) | $14.40 | $18.35 | $23.49 | $38,160 | $19.35 |
| Team assemblers (51 2092) | $14.43 | $18.46 | $26.52 | $38,410 | $21.47 |
| Inspectors and testers (51 9061) | $15.89 | $22.86 | $36.32 | $47,540 | $23.35 |
| Forklift operators (53 7051) | $17.81 | $23.25 | $30.27 | $48,370 | $22.32 |
| Welders and cutters (51 4121) | $18.85 | $24.35 | $33.84 | $50,640 | $25.84 |
| Machinists (51 4041) | $19.17 | $27.47 | $36.64 | $57,140 | $28.24 |
| Electricians (47 2111) | $18.36 | $27.52 | $37.10 | $57,250 | $30.38 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics (49 9041) | $20.90 | $29.16 | $40.39 | $60,650 | $31.02 |
| Aircraft structure and systems assemblers (51 2011) | $22.61 | $31.05 | $47.25 | $64,580 | $65,380 annual |
| Aircraft mechanics and service technicians (49 3011) | $21.87 | $36.99 | $62.59 | $76,940 | $38.40 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Florida statewide, via O*NET OnLine, accessed September 2026. Aircraft mechanics earn a $44.44 median in Orlando versus $34.38 in Tampa; machinists $29.18 in Miami Fort Lauderdale; team assemblers $22.84 in Panama City. Market benchmarks, not C3 pay rates.
Employer compliance in Florida.
The items that set your cost per hour and your paperwork in Florida, including what changes on September 30, 2026. A starting point, not legal advice.
| Item | Florida rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage | $14.00 per hour since September 30, 2025; $15.00 from September 30, 2026 (tipped cash wage $11.98, from $10.98). From September 30, 2027 the rate is indexed annually to inflation. | U.S. DOL state minimum wage table, July 1, 2026; Florida Constitution Article X Section 24 |
| Local wage and heat ordinances | Preempted. HB 433 (effective July 1, 2024) bars local governments from setting a different minimum wage, from conditioning contracts on wages and benefits, and from requiring heat exposure protections for employees. | Florida Senate, HB 433 (2024); verify heat clause in the enrolled text |
| Reemployment (UI) tax | Taxable wage base $7,000. New employers pay 2.7 percent on the first $7,000 per employee. Experience rated employers range from 0.10 to 5.40 percent. | Florida Department of Revenue |
| E Verify | Private employers with 25 or more employees must use E Verify for new hires (since July 1, 2023). Since July 1, 2024, noncompliance triggers a 30 day cure notice and, after three failures in 24 months, $1,000 per day fines and possible license suspension. An employee leasing company may shift the duty to the client by written agreement; a temporary staffing firm with 25 or more employees is covered directly. | Florida Statutes section 448.095 |
| Workers compensation | Private insurance market. Required for non construction employers with four or more employees (counting corporate officers and LLC members), construction employers with one or more, and agriculture at six regular or twelve seasonal workers. The staffing firm is the employer of record for its temporary employees. | Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Workers' Compensation |
| Right to work | Yes, Florida Constitution Article I Section 6. | Florida Constitution |
| Staffing licensing | Employee leasing companies (PEOs) are licensed by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation under Chapter 468 Part XI. Temporary help firms are excluded from the leasing definition and need no state license. | Florida Statutes Chapter 468 Part XI |
| Pay transparency | No statewide salary range or salary history law. | Research finding, September 2026 |
| Heat illness | No state heat standard, and local standards are preempted by HB 433. The federal OSHA general duty clause applies. | Florida Senate, HB 433 (2024); OSHA |
Compliance facts current as of September 13, 2026. The $15.00 and 2027 indexing language should be confirmed against the constitutional text before relying on it. Verify with the agency before relying on any item for a specific decision.
First, the wage floor. On September 30, 2026 the minimum wage becomes $15.00, more than double the federal $7.25 that governs in Georgia and Texas, so every entry level warehouse and assembly requisition in Florida starts from a higher number and the bill rate follows. Second, E Verify. Section 448.095 lets an employee leasing company shift the E Verify duty to the client by written agreement, but a temporary staffing firm with 25 or more employees is covered directly, so ask your staffing partner to confirm it runs the check on every new hire it sends you. What does not move: OSHA treats the host employer and the staffing agency as joint employers for worker safety, and joint employer doctrines under Title VII, the ADA, the FLSA and the NLRA can still reach a client.
Sources: Florida Constitution Article X Section 24; U.S. Department of Labor state minimum wage table, July 1, 2026; Florida Statutes section 448.095; OSHA Temporary Worker Initiative.
Florida headlines, summer 2026.
Eight dated items from our research feed, newest first.
Space Florida may approve $277 million to help fuel SpaceX, Blue Origin and Brevard growth.
State financing keeps the Space Coast build out on schedule, sustaining structures and systems assembler demand. Florida Today.
State announces a $23 million defense industry investment, including $7 million for a Cecil Field training hub in Jacksonville.
State funded defense training pipelines feed aerospace and ship repair employers. WorkBoat; Hoodline.
Blue Origin tops 4,500 Space Coast jobs as the New Glenn build out accelerates.
Blue Origin is now one of Brevard County's largest private employers and the benchmark for aerospace technician pay. Florida Today.
Astrion files WARN notice for 220 employees at Eglin and Patrick Air Force Bases, separation September 30.
Defense contract turnover releases cleared technicians on the Space Coast and the Panhandle. FloridaCommerce WARN list.
Florida unemployment 4.6 percent in July; payroll jobs up 41,000 over the year.
Florida's rate has been above the U.S. since spring; candidate availability is improving for employers. FloridaCommerce Labor Market Update via CareerSource North Central Florida.
Port Tampa Bay breaks ground on its first new cruise terminal in 25 years.
Port construction and cargo growth in Tampa offset logistics closures in Lakeland. Business Observer.
Thousands more Relativity Space jobs headed to Florida as part of Cape Canaveral expansion plans.
A second large rocket manufacturer on the Cape deepens the aerospace labor market and supplier base. Orlando Sentinel.
Florida Amazon layoff toll to pass 1,000 as warehouses close for renovation.
494 Port St. Lucie associates and workers at other sites become available from September through December 2026. Treasure Coast News.
Questions we get about Florida.
What is Florida's unemployment rate right now?
4.6 percent in July 2026, seasonally adjusted, down 0.1 from June but up from 3.9 percent in July 2025 and 0.5 points above the U.S. rate of 4.1 percent (FloridaCommerce, July 2026 Labor Market Update). Florida's rate has been above the national rate since spring 2026. August data are scheduled for release the week of September 18, 2026.
When does Florida's minimum wage reach $15.00?
September 30, 2026. The rate is $14.00 per hour now and rises to $15.00 under Florida Constitution Article X Section 24, with the tipped cash wage rising from $10.98 to $11.98. From September 30, 2027 the rate is indexed annually to inflation. Local governments cannot set a different minimum wage (HB 433, effective July 1, 2024).
Does Florida require E Verify for private employers?
Yes, at 25 or more employees. Since July 1, 2023, section 448.095 of the Florida Statutes requires private employers with 25 or more employees to use E Verify for new hires. Since July 1, 2024, noncompliance triggers a 30 day cure notice and, after three failures in 24 months, $1,000 per day fines and possible license suspension. A temporary staffing firm with 25 or more employees is covered directly.
Who carries workers compensation on a temporary employee in Florida?
The staffing firm is the employer of record for workers compensation on its temporary employees. Florida is a private insurance market; non construction employers with four or more employees must carry coverage, construction employers with one or more, and agriculture at six regular or twelve seasonal workers. Source: Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Workers' Compensation. OSHA still treats the host employer and the staffing agency as joint employers for safety.
Is Florida manufacturing hiring in 2026?
Yes, and it is the only goods sector growing meaningfully. Manufacturing employment was 430,400 in July 2026, up 4,200 (1.0 percent) over the year, with Jacksonville up 2.2 percent and the Space Coast up 1.9 percent. The named projects are aerospace and medical: Blue Origin's $600 million upper stage plant at Cape Canaveral (500 jobs), Relativity Space's Terran R expansion, and Johnson & Johnson's $1 billion plus Jacksonville investment supporting 3,500 jobs.
Where are the available candidates in Florida right now?
Aviation and logistics. Spirit Airlines' shutdown put 5,853 Florida workers on WARN notices in May 2026 (Fort Lauderdale 2,529, Orlando 1,592, Dania Beach 551, Miami 181). Amazon's Port St. Lucie renovation releases 494 associates between September 17 and December 17, 2026, and Kroger's fulfillment center closures cost nearly 1,500 Florida jobs. Sources: FloridaCommerce WARN list; Florida Times Union.
Where does C3 Workforce staff in Florida?
Our recruiters and sales team cover Florida from the C3 Workforce headquarters in Livonia, Michigan: Jacksonville, the Space Coast and Orlando, Tampa Bay and the I 4 corridor, and South Florida. C3 is active in multiple markets across the country and does business in all 50 states. Call (734) 552-5731 or email info@c3workforce.com.
Jacksonville to Miami, and the Space Coast between.
Our recruiters and sales team cover Florida from the Livonia headquarters: Jacksonville, the Space Coast, Orlando, Tampa Bay and South Florida. Tell us the role, the shift and the zip code. Quotes go out within 24 hours and every message gets a reply within one business day.
(734) 552-5731
info@c3workforce.com
Aerospace assembly and maintenance, medical device and electronics production, distribution centers along I 4 and I 95, and food and beverage plants. The same screening and accountability as every other C3 market, with a national team behind it.
Tell us the role and the zip code.
Most quotes go out within one business day. No pitch, no pressure. Just a number and a start date.