Gainesville's jobless rate fell to 5.6% in September from 6.2% in August, but it is up from 5.1% a year earlier, with 410 fewer residents working. County: 4.9%.
Gainesville’s unemployment rate fell to 5.6% in September, down from 6.2% in August. It is still higher than a year ago. In September 2025 the rate was 5.1%.
About 4,148 city residents were out of work and looking for a job in September. That is 348 more than a year earlier.
The figures are the preliminary September 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. The fair comparison is with the same month a year earlier.
The drop from August
Gainesville’s labor force grew by 2,092 people between August and September. The number of residents with jobs rose by 2,477.
The fall from August looks seasonal. Last year followed the same pattern. The rate fell from 5.7% in August 2025 to 5.1% in September 2025.
The year-on-year picture is weaker
Set against September 2025, the city’s job numbers moved the wrong way. According to the BLS, in Gainesville in September:
- 74,676 people were in the labor force, against 74,738 a year earlier.
- 70,528 people had jobs, down from 70,938.
- 4,148 people were unemployed, up from 3,800.
So 410 fewer residents were working than a year ago, while the labor force was almost unchanged. That is a different story from August. Then, most of the rise in the rate came from more people looking for work.
These are counts of Gainesville residents, wherever they work. They are not counts of the jobs located in the city.
Gainesville against the county, state and nation
| Area | September 2026 | September 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Gainesville | 5.6% | 5.1% |
| Alachua County | 4.9% | 4.6% |
| Florida | 4.2% | 4.2% |
| United States | 4.0% | 4.3% |
All rates are not seasonally adjusted. Sources: BLS series for Alachua County, Florida and the United States.
The city and the county both rose over the year. Florida was flat, and the national rate fell. Gainesville is now 1.6 points above the national figure.
In Alachua County, 7,016 people were unemployed in September, up from 6,609 a year earlier. The county figure includes Alachua, about 10 miles northwest, and the county’s other towns.
August, revised
The BLS has revised its August estimate for Gainesville from 6.3% to 6.2%. The revised count of unemployed residents is 4,533. Our August unemployment story has been updated.
What it means for you
- If you are looking for work, the state’s Employ Florida job board lists openings in and around Gainesville.
- September’s numbers will change. The BLS marks the latest month as preliminary and revises it the following month.
- October’s figures come in the next BLS release for local areas. There is no October 2025 figure to compare against. The BLS lists that month as unavailable because of the federal government shutdown last fall.
- For more on the local economy, see our pages on new businesses and home prices, and our September home values story.
Have your say