A new report shows job openings in Jacksonville increased last month.
The city was among 40 of the nation’s top 50 largest metropolitan areas which saw increased postings, according to a report from job search engine Simply Hired.
Jacksonville employers posted 27,876 jobs in July, a more than 25 percent increase over last year.
Across the country, openings increased by 1.8 percent from June and 22.5 percent over July 2012.
Multi-national fast food giant McDonald’s posted the most jobs across the country with 53,208 postings, a 5.7 percent increase from June.
Candace Moody, Vice President of Communications for Northeast Florida-based WorkSource, said the growth of lower paying service and retail positions is a natural outcome of the national economic recovery.
“Those jobs are essential for young people who are entering the workforce,” Moody said, citing the importance of the positions for both youths and immigrants, referencing the all-time high youth unemployment rate in Jacksonville’s urban core.
Moody added that higher paying, career oriented positions in sectors like info-technology and healthcare are also returning.
According to the Simply Hired report, healthcare remains the top posting industry.
The other Florida metro areas in the top 50 also all saw job postings increase.
Tampa and St. Petersburg employers posted more than 65,000 jobs, a 13.1 percent increase from 2012. Orlando saw 55,858 postings, a 23.7 percent increase from last year. The Miami and Fort Lauderdale metro area saw the greatest year-over-year increase in the state with 62,028 jobs posted, a 28.1 percent increase.
Norfolk, Va., Greenville, S.C., and Oklahoma City, Okla., saw the largest month-over-month gains with 10.3 percent, 7.4 percent, and 5.1 percent respectively. Jacksonville’s month-over-month increase was a modest 0.1 percent.
Simply Hired U.S. Jobs Outlook August 2013
