A FloridaCommerce economic update shows Tampa added 12,700 private sector jobs over the year in August, a 0.9 percent increase and the third-highest job gain of all Florida metros.
Over the year in August, Florida’s private sector added 85,400 jobs. Nearly 15 percent of those jobs belonged to Tampa, making the city a standout with the third-largest job gain across Florida. Leading industries for job growth in Tampa included education and health services with 7,600 jobs, manufacturing with 1,300 jobs and information with 600 jobs.
Tampa’s labor force grew by 3,755 people over the year (+0.2 percent), signaling growing confidence in the region’s economy, even as the unemployment rate remained low at 4.4 percent, up slightly from 3.8 percent in August 2024. Opportunities continue to expand across key industries as thousands more residents enter the job market.
“Tampa is now recognized as one of the top markets for talent in the United States,” said Craig J. Richard, president and CEO of the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council.
The biggest boosts in the region came from:
- Education and health services (+7,600).
- Manufacturing (+1,300).
- Information (+600).
“Lightcast’s 2025 Talent Attraction Scorecard ranks the Tampa metro area number eight among large metros in the country, specifically because of our region’s ability to draw coveted prime-age, high-earning, college-educated workers. We see few signs of this upward trajectory abating as Gen Z discovers the career opportunities and lifestyle that Tampa Bay has to offer,” said Richard.
This growth aligns with recent Tampa Bay Economic Development Council (EDC) to attract financial and professional services, life sciences and health care and advanced manufacturing companies to the region.
Since its inception in 2009, the Tampa Bay EDC has focused on attracting new companies, retaining existing ones and developing the local workforce to fill high-wage positions in the region, helping create nearly 50,000 direct jobs. With an added emphasis on foreign domestic investment, the organization has worked directly with foreign companies to make Tampa their entry point into the U.S. market. Businesses like Israeli defense technology company Xtend Reality and Scottish Systal Technology Solutions both chose Tampa as their U.S. headquarters, helping the city rank top in the United States for foreign businesses, according to a recent Financial Times-Nikkei ranking.
Nearly 500 foreign-owned companies representing nearly 40 nations operate in the Tampa area. Home to the state’s largest port, a top-rated international airport and a strong talent pipeline, Tampa has the assets required to power the world’s leading corporations. With a strong pipeline of talent and an expanding labor force, Tampa is well-positioned for continued economic momentum.
For more information about the Tampa Bay EDC’s efforts to drive growth and connect employers with talent, visit https://tampabayedc.com/.
