Duval's jobless rate was 4.9% in August, up from 4.5% a year earlier, with 1,848 more residents out of work. That is above Florida's 4.6% and the U.S. 4.3%.
Duval County’s unemployment rate was 4.9% in August, up from 4.5% in August 2025. About 25,172 county residents were out of work and looking for a job, 1,848 more than a year earlier.
The figures are the preliminary August estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Local Area Unemployment Statistics program. Jacksonville and Duval County share one consolidated government, so the county figure is the city’s figure too. The numbers are not seasonally adjusted, so the fair comparison is with the same month a year earlier.
Duval against its neighbors
Duval had the second-highest rate in the five-county Jacksonville area in August. Only Baker County, to the west, was higher.
| Area | August 2026 | August 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Baker County | 5.0% | 4.6% |
| Duval County | 4.9% | 4.5% |
| Clay County | 4.7% | 4.5% |
| St. Johns County | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Nassau County | 4.6% | 4.2% |
| Florida | 4.6% | 4.3% |
| United States | 4.3% | 4.5% |
All rates are not seasonally adjusted. Sources: BLS series for Baker County, Clay County, St. Johns County, Nassau County, Florida and the United States.
Every county in the area rose by 0.2 to 0.4 points over the year. Florida’s rate rose too, from 4.3% to 4.6%. The national rate moved the other way, from 4.5% to 4.3%. That leaves Duval 0.6 points above the national figure, a year after the two were level.
The numbers behind the rate
In Duval County in August, according to the BLS:
- 518,469 people were in the labor force, down from 520,039 a year earlier.
- 493,297 people had jobs, down from 496,715.
- 25,172 people were unemployed, up from 23,324.
The labor force counts people who have a job or are looking for one. The unemployment rate is the share of the labor force without a job and looking for one. These are counts of Duval residents, wherever they work. They are not counts of the jobs located in the county.
The rise came from both sides. About 3,418 fewer residents were working, and about 1,848 more were looking for work. The labor force shrank by about 1,570 people.
The past year, month by month
Duval’s rate moved between 4.4% and 5.2% over the past 13 months. It was highest in January.
| Month | Duval County rate |
|---|---|
| August 2025 | 4.5% |
| September 2025 | 4.4% |
| October 2025 | not published |
| November 2025 | 5.1% |
| December 2025 | 4.7% |
| January 2026 | 5.2% |
| February 2026 | 5.1% |
| March 2026 | 4.7% |
| April 2026 | 4.9% |
| May 2026 | 4.7% |
| June 2026 | 4.9% |
| July 2026 | 5.0% |
| August 2026 | 4.9% (preliminary) |
The BLS shows no estimate for October 2025. Rates are not seasonally adjusted, so some of the month-to-month movement is the normal seasonal pattern.
What it means for you
If you are looking for work in Jacksonville, there are more people looking alongside you than a year ago: about 1,848 more. Duval’s rate is now above the state’s and the nation’s.
The BLS will revise the August figure when it publishes September’s county estimates. We will update this story then. For the cost side of living here, see our pages on home prices and property taxes.
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