St. Johns County unemployment was 4.4% in September, up from 4.2% a year ago and above the U.S. rate of 4.0%. About 6,896 residents were out of work.
St. Johns County’s unemployment rate was 4.4% in September, up from 4.2% in September 2025. About 6,896 county residents were out of work and looking for a job. That is 189 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. The BLS does not publish a separate rate for Ponte Vedra Beach, so the county figure is the closest official measure. The numbers are not seasonally adjusted, so the fair comparison is with the same month a year earlier.
The gap with the nation has widened. In September 2025, the county was at 4.2% and the U.S. rate on the same basis was 4.3%. This September the county was at 4.4% and the nation at 4.0%. Florida’s rate was 4.2%, the same as a year earlier.
St. Johns County against its neighbors
| Area | September 2026 | September 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nassau County | 4.3% | 4.2% | up 0.1 point |
| St. Johns County | 4.4% | 4.2% | up 0.2 point |
| Clay County | 4.5% | 4.4% | up 0.1 point |
| Duval County | 4.5% | 4.4% | up 0.1 point |
| Putnam County | 5.1% | 5.3% | down 0.2 point |
| Flagler County | 5.2% | 5.2% | no change |
| Florida | 4.2% | 4.2% | no change |
| United States | 4.0% | 4.3% | down 0.3 point |
All rates are not seasonally adjusted, and the September 2026 county figures are preliminary. Sources: BLS series for Nassau County, Clay County, Duval County, Putnam County, Flagler County, Florida and the United States.
St. Johns County’s rise of 0.2 point from a year earlier was the largest in the group. Duval County, home to Jacksonville Beach about two miles north, was at 4.5%.
Statewide, 14 of Florida’s 67 counties had a lower rate than St. Johns County in September. Palm Beach County tied it at 4.4%. Miami-Dade County was lowest at 1.9%.
The numbers behind the rate
In St. Johns County in September, according to the BLS:
- 157,720 people were in the labor force, down from 158,431 a year earlier.
- 150,824 people had jobs, down from 151,724.
- 6,896 people were unemployed, up from 6,707.
The labor force counts residents 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 county residents, wherever they work.
From August to September, the number of unemployed residents fell by 486 and the number with jobs rose by 684. Because the figures are not seasonally adjusted, part of that can be the season, not a change in the job market.
August, revised
The BLS revised the county’s August figures with this release. The rate stayed at 4.7%, the figure in our August story. The count of unemployed residents moved from 7,384 to 7,382, and the count with jobs from 150,068 to 150,140.
The past year, month by month
The county’s rate moved between 4.1% and 5.1% over the past 15 months. It peaked at 5.1% in January.
| Month | St. Johns County rate |
|---|---|
| July 2025 | 4.1% |
| August 2025 | 4.3% |
| September 2025 | 4.2% |
| October 2025 | not published |
| November 2025 | 5.0% |
| December 2025 | 4.5% |
| January 2026 | 5.1% |
| February 2026 | 5.0% |
| March 2026 | 4.6% |
| April 2026 | 4.8% |
| May 2026 | 4.6% |
| June 2026 | 4.7% |
| July 2026 | 4.8% |
| August 2026 | 4.7% |
| September 2026 | 4.4% (preliminary) |
The BLS published no October 2025 figure for the county. Its series notes that the data are unavailable because of the 2025 lapse in federal appropriations.
What it means for you
- Looking for work: Florida’s free job listings are on Employ Florida.
- Lost a job: Reemployment assistance claims are filed with FloridaCommerce.
- The figure is an estimate. September is preliminary, and the BLS revises county figures when the next month is published.
- Home values and taxes: see our pages on home prices and property taxes in Ponte Vedra Beach.
We report the county figure each month when the BLS publishes it.
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