Duval's jobless rate fell to 4.5% in September from 4.9% in August, with about 1,840 fewer people out of work. It is still above Florida's 4.2% and the U.S. 4%.
Duval County’s unemployment rate fell to 4.5% in September, from 4.9% in August. About 23,322 residents were out of work and looking for a job. That is about 1,840 fewer than in August.
The rate is still a little higher than a year ago. In September 2025 it was 4.4%.
The figures are the preliminary September 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. The fairest comparison is with the same month a year earlier.
Duval against its neighbors
Duval, Baker and Clay counties tied for the highest rate in the five-county Jacksonville area in September, at 4.5%. Duval stayed above the state and national rates.
| Area | September 2026 | September 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Baker County | 4.5% | 4.5% |
| Duval County | 4.5% | 4.4% |
| Clay County | 4.5% | 4.4% |
| St. Johns County | 4.4% | 4.2% |
| Nassau County | 4.3% | 4.2% |
| Florida | 4.2% | 4.2% |
| United States | 4.0% | 4.3% |
All rates are not seasonally adjusted. The county and state figures for September 2026 are preliminary. Sources: BLS series for Baker County, Clay County, St. Johns County, Nassau County, Florida and the United States.
Florida’s rate was level with a year ago. The national rate fell from 4.3% to 4.0%. Duval was level with the nation a year ago and is now half a point above it.
The numbers behind the rate
In Duval County in September, according to the BLS:
- 519,425 people were in the labor force, down from 521,729 a year earlier.
- 496,103 people had jobs, down from 498,800.
- 23,322 people were unemployed, up from 22,929.
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.
Against August, the picture improved on both sides. About 2,567 more residents had jobs, and about 1,841 fewer were looking for work.
Against a year earlier, about 2,697 fewer residents were working and about 393 more were unemployed. The labor force was about 2,304 people smaller.
The past year, month by month
Duval’s rate moved between 4.4% and 5.2% over the past 13 months. September’s 4.5% is the lowest since September 2025.
| Month | Duval County rate |
|---|---|
| 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% |
| September 2026 | 4.5% (preliminary) |
The BLS shows no estimate for October 2025, which it marks as unavailable because of the 2025 lapse in federal appropriations. Rates are not seasonally adjusted, so some of the month-to-month movement is the normal seasonal pattern.
The BLS revised the August figures this month. The rate stayed at 4.9%, and the count of unemployed residents moved from 25,172 to 25,163. Our August story has been updated.
What it means for you
If you are looking for work in Jacksonville, the field got a little less crowded in September. About 1,841 fewer people were job hunting than in August. Duval’s rate is still above the state’s and the nation’s.
The BLS will revise the September figure when it publishes October’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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