Broward County unemployment falls to 4.1% in September

Fort Lauderdale, Florida – Broward County’s unemployment rate fell to 4.1% in September 2026 from 4.4% in August, while employers in the Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach-Sunrise Metro Division added 1,900 nonagricultural jobs over the month. The figures show a monthly improvement, although the county’s unemployment rate remained slightly above its level a year earlier.

The September rate was 0.1 percentage points higher than the 4.0% recorded in September 2025. It was also 0.1 percentage points below the 4.2% state rate used in the county comparison published by the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance.

Broward had 44,170 unemployed residents in a labor force of 1,074,400. The labor force grew by 3,088 people from August but was down by 6,309, or 0.6%, compared with the same month last year. The monthly increase therefore came alongside a smaller labor force than the county had a year earlier.

The metro division’s nonagricultural employment reached 915,100 in September. Despite the monthly gain, that total was only 300 jobs higher than a year earlier, an increase of less than 0.1%. The figures distinguish the stronger movement between August and September from the much smaller net change over the full year.

Education and health services provided the largest annual increase among the local industries listed in the report, adding 3,300 jobs. Government followed with 1,600 additional positions. Leisure and hospitality gained 800 jobs, manufacturing added 500, and construction increased by 400.

Four local industries matched or exceeded their statewide annual growth rates. Education and health services grew 2.7%, manufacturing increased 1.5%, government rose 1.4%, and construction expanded 0.7%. The metro division also recorded the largest annual government job gain among Florida’s metro areas, according to the report.

Read also: Pompano Beach woman convicted of stealing $152,000 in deceased relative’s Social Security benefits

Government was a major contributor to the monthly employment increase as well, adding 1,700 jobs from August, a gain of 1.5%. Trade, transportation and utilities added another 1,600 positions, up 0.8%. Those were the two major sectors reporting monthly increases of more than 1,000 jobs.

Together, their gains exceeded the overall monthly increase of 1,900 jobs. That means the increases in those two sectors were partly offset by employment changes elsewhere in the local economy. Similarly, the annual gains reported for individual industries were larger than the metro division’s net annual increase.

Bob Swindell, president and CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, said the region’s business foundations remained strong.

“Broward County’s latest unemployment rate in Broward County stayed 0.1% lower than the State and decreased 3 percentage points to 4.1% in September compared to the previous month. The region continues to demonstrate the underlying strengths that support long-term economic resilience. Greater Fort Lauderdale remains a highly competitive location for business investment, supported by strong infrastructure, talent pipeline initiatives, and continued opportunities across our targeted industries,” said Bob Swindell, President and CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance.

The decline from 4.4% in August to 4.1% in September equals 0.3 percentage points. The reference to a three-percentage-point decrease in the statement does not match the reported rates.

“This continued progress is made possible through the strong collaboration of our public and private partners, investors, and municipal leaders, whose shared commitment remains essential to strengthening and diversifying Broward County’s economy.”

The report separately listed Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate at 4.4% in September, down from 4.5% in August but up 0.2 percentage points from a year earlier. That seasonally adjusted figure is distinct from the 4.2% state rate cited in the report’s opening comparison with Broward County.

Statewide, there were 489,000 unemployed people in a labor force of 11,114,000. The national seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.2% in September.

Read also: Pine Island Aquatic Center closes temporarily after pool pump malfunction

Florida’s seasonally adjusted nonagricultural employment totaled 10,045,400, an increase of 5,300 jobs, or 0.1%, over the month. Over the year, the state added 59,800 jobs, growing 0.6%. National employment increased 0.3% during the same annual period.

Six of Florida’s ten major industries posted annual job gains. Education and health services led with 40,300 additional positions, an increase of 2.5%. Professional and business services added 19,300 jobs, up 1.2%, while leisure and hospitality gained 16,800, an increase of 1.3%.

Other statewide gains came from trade, transportation and utilities, which added 8,300 jobs and grew 0.4%. Construction increased by 3,300 positions, or 0.5%, and manufacturing added 2,100, also up 0.5%.

The report also outlined employment conditions in Broward’s neighboring counties. Palm Beach County recorded a September unemployment rate of 4.4%, up from 4.3% a year earlier. Its labor force totaled 775,577, a decline of 909 people, or 0.1%, over the year. The county had 33,753 unemployed residents.

Employers in the West Palm Beach-Boca Raton-Delray Beach Metro Division added 5,300 nonagricultural jobs over the year, an increase of 0.8%.

Miami-Dade County reported a lower unemployment rate than either Broward or Palm Beach. Its September rate was 1.9%, down one percentage point from 2.9% a year earlier. The county’s labor force grew by 38,230 people, or 2.7%, to 1,452,691, with 27,597 residents unemployed.

Nonagricultural employment in the Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall Metropolitan Division reached 1,347,800. That represented an annual gain of 7,400 jobs, or 0.6%.

The Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance serves as Broward County’s official public/private economic development partnership. Its work focuses on encouraging jobs and capital investment, supporting business growth and retention, and helping build a more diverse local economy.

The organization assists businesses with relocation, expansion, site selection, incentive information and market research. It also connects CareerSource Broward, educational institutions and employers on workforce development matters. Further information is available by calling 954-524-3113 or 800-741-1420. The Alliance is located at 110 E. Broward Blvd., Suite 1990, in Fort Lauderdale.