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Demand for
workers by Southwest Florida businesses has kept unemployment low here,
even as those same businesses adjust to a general slowdown in the local
economy.
The jobless rate
in both Lee and Collier counties remained at 2.4 percent in February,
exactly the same as it was last year, according to statistics released
Thursday by the Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation. Charlotte
County's rate of 2.4 percent was down from last year's 2.7 percent.
By contrast, the
statewide rate was 3.6 percent, up slightly from last year's 3.5 percent.
The national rate is 4.6 percent, up from 4.4 percent.
Employers and
employment experts in Southwest Florida credit the combination of seasonal
demand and a significant group of local workers who prefer seasonal jobs
for the local reprieve.
"Layoffs and
slowdowns hit us slower than other parts of the country," said James Wall,
program manager for the Southwest Florida Workforce Development Board. "A
large part of our population is either semiretired or retired, so they
have made their money. As for the visitors, their stays may be shorter or
they may not spend quite as much money, but they still come down here."
Local employers
say consumer demand has dropped slightly from last year's unusual high,
but not enough to prompt widespread layoffs.
"If you walked
into our shop today, it's just packed full of boats. We have less of a
backlog, but on a day-to-day basis, we have as much work as we can
handle," said Richard Strauss, owner of Island coast Boat Works of
Cape Coral. "We are always looking for good, competent people with a good
attitude."
While
unemployment statistics were announced Thursday, Strauss was one of three
business owners introducing high school students to skilled jobs in the
marine industry.
Lee and Collier
counties have one of the highest per capita boat ownership rates in the
United States, said Strauss, 40. "There is a tremendous demand for
qualified individuals to serve the boating public."
Strauss, chairman
of the Southwest Florida Marine Association's work force development
committee, joined forces with the Work Skills Program in five Lee high
schools to recruit students to the industry.
"We also need to
be able to hire younger, less experienced people to work with mentors, who
are skilled in marine trades," he said.
"The students
were exposed to everything from fiberglass repair to gel coat finishing,
electrical wiring and mechanical systems."
Like other
employers, however, Strauss is working harder to bring in new business to
preserve his three-to four-week backlog.
"I don't think
any business is totally recession-proof. When things are going well, there
is a lot of new product out there, and our warranty repairs are higher,"
he said. "We're seeing more and more refurbishings and re-powers right now
as opposed to warranty work."
Nancy Smith,
administrator for the Work Skills Program, said other sectors are handling
the slowdown without decreasing labor.
"Among the
construction-related employers I deal with, they still need good, skilled
people. There might be some economic changes, but it's still going
strong."
Barbara Hartman,
who helps employers recruit labor through the Fort Myers jobs and benefits
office, now called the Agency for workforce Innovation, said demand for
labor has kept pace with the scattered layoffs she's seen.
"There have been
layoffs. Not a large number, and I think that is more a reflection of the
businesses reorganizing. I think it's unusual that we are seeing a lot of
hiring and then some layoffs at the same time," she said.
"A lot of people
who are being laid off are being absorbed back into the work force."
Through the
adjustment, she said, workers are benefiting.
"Because they are
still having a difficult time finding employees, employers are more
willing to negotiate on salaries. Before, they would have a set scale.
Now, they give us a salary range. They are trying to encourage more people
to apply at their companies," she said.
"They also have
become more flexible on the work schedules. They are more willing to work
schedules to accommodate the employee."
Overall, about
15,000 jobs were added in Lee and Collier counties in the past 12 months. |
