Workforce...
A steady supply of workers is available in Marion County, Florida. The entire workforce, including adjoining counties, totals more than 700,000. Employment levels in manufacturing are double the statewide average.
With a current unemployment rate of around 4.0%, Marion County’s unemployment rates tend to be equal or slightly higher than the statewide average. This pattern can be expected to continue due to the population growth caused by migration.
One of the key elements in the Ocala/Marion County EDC’s Strategic Plan is Workforce Initiatives. The EDC looks for creative ways to utilize business and community partners to ensure a skilled and reliable workforce pool is available for employers. One innovative project has been the Marion Technical Institute: Where Education Meets Experience.
- 2005 County Average Civilian Labor Workforce - 119,721
- 2005 County Average Unemployment Rate - 4.1%
- 2005 Florida Average Unemployment Rate - 4.2%
- 2005 Labor Force of Adjoining Counties - 575,664
Florida is a “Right To Work” state.
2005 Marion County Average Earnings Per Worker by Industry
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting | $21,456 |
| Construction | $29,206 |
| Education and Health Services | $33,340 |
| Finance and Insurance | $34,546 |
| Information | $34,316 |
| Leisure and Hospitality | $13,221 |
| Manufacturing | $33,801 |
| Mining | $22,445 |
| Professional and Business Services | $28,308 |
| Public Administration | $31,509 |
| Retail Trade | $22,088 |
| Trade, Transportation, Utilities | $25,193 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | $33,232 |
| Utilities | $49,159 |
| Wholesale Trade | $33,382 |
| Other Services | $21,428 |
| Total Government | $30,138 |
| Federal Government | $40,898 |
| State Government | $30,700 |
| Local Government | $29,415 |
| County-wide Average All Industries | $27,839 |
Source: Florida Department of Labor
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Unemployment Rate – Ocala MSA
| 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | |
| Jan. | 9.4 | 6.9 | 6.3 | 5.7 | 4.9 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 4.8 | 5.4 | 4.8 | 4.2 |
| Feb. | 7.1 | 4.7 | 5.4 | 4.9 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 4.9 | 5.2 | 4.6 | 4.2 |
| Mar. | 8.9 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 4.2 |
| Apr. | 8.2 | 5.9 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 4.4 | 4.1 |
| May | 7.6 | 5.4 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 4.9 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 3.9 |
| June | 7.4 | 6.1 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.6 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 4.8 | 4.3 |
| July | 6.9 | 5.5 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.6 | 3.9 |
| Aug. | 6.7 | 5.4 | 5.0 | 4.7 | 4.0 | 3.3 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 4.6 | 4.1 |
| Sept. | 6.8 | 5.9 | 5.5 | 4.6 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 4.0 |
| Oct. | 6.1 | 6.2 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.2 | 3.8 |
| Nov. | 6.3 | 6.2 | 5.3 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.3 | 3.7 |
| Dec. | 5.7 | 6.1 | 5.0 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.3 | 3.9 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 3.5 |
| Annual Average | 7.26 | 5.76 | 5.15 | 4.7 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 4.9 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 3.7 |
Source: Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation, Labor Market Statistics
Industrial Occupational Wage Information
| Selected Occupational Title | Entry | Median | Experienced |
| Assemblers and Fabricators | $7.14 | $8.82 | $10.71 |
| Billing and Posting Clerks & Machine Operators | $9.76 | $11.45 | $12.49 |
| Computer Support Specialists | $10.41 | $15.29 | $18.23 |
| Cutting, Punching, & Press Machine Setters, Operators | $7.81 | $10.23 | $12.00 |
| Extruding & Drawing Machine Setters, Operators | $8.02 | $11.05 | $13.20 |
| File Clerks | $6.92 | $9.48 | $10.61 |
| First Line Supervisors/Managers of Production | $13.23 | $18.10 | $21.61 |
| Food Preparation Workers | $6.06 | $7.72 | $8.87 |
| Helpers – Production Workers | $7.14 | $9.34 | $11.23 |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanics | $10.82 | $28.36 | $28.20 |
| Industrial Production Managers | $19.90 | $27.28 | $35.67 |
| Laborers & Freight, Stock & Material Movers | $7.25 | $9.31 | $10.68 |
| Machinists | $10.36 | $14.07 | $16.29 |
| Office Clerks, General | $6.88 | $9.35 | $11.17 |
| Sales Managers | $21.94 | $41.35 | $54.50 |
Source: Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation, Labor Market Statistics
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