PORT ST. LUCIE — The unemployment rate across the Treasure Coast rose to 5.7% in January 2026, an increase from 4.1% a year earlier, according to new data released by the Florida Department of Commerce and its Bureau of Workforce Statistics and Economic Research.
The report shows the region’s unemployment rate was also higher than the statewide rate of 4.9%. The labor force totaled 308,951, a decrease of 2,871 people, or 0.9%, over the year. There were 17,586 unemployed residents in the region.
"We are actually down a little over 2,800 people since this time last year, so that's a little concerning for us," said Brian Bauer, CEO of CareerSource Research Coast.
Bauer said that may change the way that local employers approach hiring.
"The issue we currently struggle with is that there's just not enough people to fill all the jobs that are available," he said. "Businesses and employers are just taking a more of a cautious approach when it comes to hiring. I think what we're going to see is a little bit of a shift from us having a surplus of jobs, to having a surplus of individuals looking for jobs."
Among the three counties, Indian River County recorded the highest unemployment rate at 6.0%, followed by St. Lucie County at 5.7% and Martin County at 5.3%.
Across the combined metro area, total nonagricultural employment reached 237,500 in January, reflecting a decline of 2,200 jobs, or 0.9%, compared with the previous year. Job gains were limited to the education and health services sector, which added 1,200 jobs, and manufacturing, which increased by 100 jobs.
Most other sectors posted losses, including leisure and hospitality and professional and business services, each down 900 jobs. Mining, logging and construction, along with trade, transportation and utilities, each declined by 500 jobs. Government employment fell by 300 jobs, while financial activities dropped by 200 jobs. Information and other services each declined by 100 jobs.
"Healthcare and education seem to be the ones that hold us up. Manufacturing is on a little bit of an increase, which that's good for us. We're excited about that," Bauer said. "But we're also a big hospitality area, so it's not good to see hospitality shrink like it has and professional services shrink like it has."
In the Port St. Lucie metropolitan area, employment totaled 178,100, down 500 jobs, or 0.3%, over the year. Education and health services grew by 4.2%, while trade, transportation and utilities increased by 0.5%. Job gains in education and health services totaled 1,400, and trade, transportation and utilities added 200 jobs.
Losses in that metro area included professional and business services, down 900 jobs; mining, logging and construction and leisure and hospitality, each down 400 jobs; and other services, down 300 jobs. Financial activities declined by 100 jobs, while government, information and manufacturing showed no change.
In the Sebastian-Vero Beach metropolitan area, employment totaled 59,400, a decrease of 1,700 jobs, or 2.8%, over the year. The other services sector grew 6.7%, and manufacturing increased 3.2%. Both sectors were among the fastest-growing in the state, with other services adding 200 jobs and manufacturing increasing by 100 jobs.
However, losses were widespread in that metro area. Trade, transportation and utilities declined by 700 jobs; leisure and hospitality dropped by 500 jobs; government fell by 300 jobs; and education and health services, mining, logging and construction, information and financial activities each declined by 100 jobs. Professional and business services showed no change.
CareerSource offers a variety of opportunities for people affected by this drop in employment to get back up on their feet, including regular job fairs.
"We also offer specialized recruitment events for our employers. So if we have an employer that's looking for a certain niche, we can help them out by putting on an individualized recruitment event," Bauer said.
The group also offers an option to potentially get your foot in the door at those more stable job fields like healthcare, should you qualify.
"Maybe I'm stuck in my career or maybe, I'm not really going anywhere where I want, and I really want to get into something such as healthcare or manufacturing. We have the ability to, if they qualify for our funds, put them back into school for training," Bauer said.
The data also shows average annual wages increased across the region. The CareerSource Research Coast area reported an average annual wage of $56,545 in 2024, up $2,255 from the previous year. Florida’s average annual wage rose to $69,505, an increase of $3,059.
All data in the report is subject to revision, according to the Florida Department of Commerce and the Bureau of Workforce Statistics and Economic Research.