February brought a mixed but largely stable picture for Florida's labor market. The unemployment rate edged up a tenth of a point to 4.6%, and nonfarm payrolls held essentially flat month over month, which points to a market that is finding its footing rather than deteriorating. With roughly 9.98 million Floridians on payroll, the state's employment base remains substantial.
The year-over-year comparison reflects a labor market that has normalized from its post-pandemic peaks. Florida's rate was 3.6% in February 2025, so the current 4.6% represents a return toward historically typical levels rather than a sign of acute distress. The national rate in February was 4.4%, and Florida is running modestly above that, consistent with the state's faster labor force growth compared to the rest of the country.
The headline bright spot is Education and Health Services, which continues to add jobs at a meaningful pace and reflects the long-term demographic tailwinds of Florida's growing and aging population. The sectors covered in this report, Sales, IT, Operations, and Hospitality, are each in a period of recalibration after years of elevated hiring. That means employers are being more selective and deliberate, which creates real opportunity for well-matched candidates and the right recruiting partners.
Professional and Business Services came in essentially flat year-over-year in February 2026, with employment at 1,609,300. After the December trough at 1,597,600, the sector has recovered ground in both January and February, a stabilizing signal after months of gradual decline through the second half of 2025. The sector has not yet returned to its early 2025 levels near 1,620,000 but the direction is improving.
For sales hiring, February continued to be a market defined by selectivity rather than volume. SaaS and technology sales, healthcare sales, and senior B2B account management roles see the steadiest demand. Entry-level inside sales and commission-only roles are seeing more applicant competition than at any point in the past two years. Financial services sales in mortgage, insurance, and wealth management remain soft as the rate environment continues to dampen transaction volumes.
The Information sector pulled back again in February to 149,600, giving back the January uptick and settling near the October through December floor. The sector has been rangebound between 148,800 and 152,300 since October 2025, suggesting it has found a new lower baseline rather than continuing to fall. That is a modest improvement over the consecutive monthly declines seen through the first three quarters of 2025.
In Florida, the contraction is concentrated in telecommunications, media, and data processing. The part of the IT labor market that remains active is the skills-driven segment: cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, AI implementation, and data engineering roles continue to see genuine employer demand across the Tampa Bay, Miami, and Orlando markets. Candidates with hands-on AI tooling experience, cloud certifications, or cybersecurity credentials are moving faster than the broader market.
Trade, Transportation, and Utilities held essentially flat in February at 1,983,500, hovering near the lows established in the fall of 2025. The sector has been rangebound between 1,981,900 and 1,984,200 since October, which is stabilizing even if it represents a significant step down from the 1,996,000 range of the first half of 2025.
Companies continue to defer permanent headcount decisions in favor of contract and flexible staffing arrangements. Operations managers with multi-site experience, supply chain analysts, and logistics technology roles remain in demand. The permanent placement market is most active at the manager and director level, where companies are willing to invest in leadership talent even in a cautious environment.
Leisure and Hospitality pulled back in February to 1,324,800, the lowest reading in the trailing twelve months. February is historically a softer month for Florida hospitality as peak winter season winds down, and the year-over-year comparison reflects that the sector is carrying modestly fewer jobs than it did at this point last year.
The underlying story in Florida hospitality is one of structural adjustment. The post-pandemic demand surge that drove aggressive hiring through 2022 and 2023 has fully normalized. International visitation from key source markets including Canada and the UK softened through late 2025 and into early 2026. Domestic travel remains solid but price-sensitive. For hospitality hiring, the strongest demand remains concentrated in property management, food and beverage leadership, and revenue management, roles where operators are willing to pay competitively for the right talent regardless of the broader recalibration.