Gainesville's jobless rate was 6.3% in August, up from 5.7% a year earlier, with about 400 more residents out of work. Alachua County was 5.4%; Florida, 4.6%.
Gainesville’s unemployment rate was 6.3% in August, up from 5.7% in August 2025. About 4,535 city residents were out of work and looking for a job, 396 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, which publishes a separate rate for the city. They are not seasonally adjusted, so the fair comparison is with the same month a year earlier.
Gainesville against the county, state and nation
| Area | August 2026 | August 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Gainesville | 6.3% | 5.7% |
| Alachua County | 5.4% | 5.0% |
| Florida | 4.6% | 4.3% |
| United States | 4.3% | 4.5% |
All rates are not seasonally adjusted. Sources: BLS series for Alachua County, Florida and the United States.
The city’s rate was nearly a point above the county’s. The county figure includes Alachua, about 10 miles northwest, and the county’s other towns.
Gainesville, the county and the state all rose over the year. The national rate moved the other way, from 4.5% to 4.3%. That leaves the city 2 points above the national figure.
The numbers behind the rate
In Gainesville in August, according to the BLS:
- 72,543 people were in the labor force, against 72,249 a year earlier.
- 68,008 people had jobs, down from 68,110.
- 4,535 people were unemployed, up from 4,139.
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 Gainesville residents, wherever they work. They are not counts of the jobs located in the city.
The labor force grew by 294 people over the year. The number of residents with jobs fell by 102. Most of the rise in the rate came from more residents looking for work. The number with jobs fell only slightly.
In Alachua County, 7,607 people were unemployed in August, up from 6,956 a year earlier. The county’s labor force was 139,681.
The past year, month by month
Gainesville’s rate moved between 5.1% and 6.6% over the year. It was lowest in September 2025 and highest in July 2026.
| Month | Gainesville rate |
|---|---|
| August 2025 | 5.7% |
| September 2025 | 5.1% |
| October 2025 | not published |
| November 2025 | 6.5% |
| December 2025 | 5.9% |
| January 2026 | 6.2% |
| February 2026 | 6.1% |
| March 2026 | 5.9% |
| April 2026 | 6.1% |
| May 2026 | 6.1% |
| June 2026 | 6.4% |
| July 2026 | 6.6% |
| August 2026 | 6.3% (preliminary) |
Because the figures are not seasonally adjusted, a change from one month to the next can reflect the season, not a change in the job market. There is no October 2025 figure. The BLS lists that month as unavailable because of the federal government shutdown that fall.
What it means for you
- If you are looking for work, the state’s Employ Florida job board lists openings in and around Gainesville.
- The August numbers will change. The BLS marks the latest month as preliminary and revises it the following month.
- September’s figures for the city come in the next BLS release for local areas. We will update this story when they are out.
- For more on the local economy, see our pages on new businesses and home prices.
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