Orlando's jobless rate was 4.2% in August, up from 3.8% a year earlier, with 682 more residents out of work. Orange County hit 4.5%; Florida was 4.6%.
Orlando’s unemployment rate was 4.2% in August, up from 3.8% in August 2025. About 7,881 city residents were out of work and looking for a job, 682 more than a year earlier.
Orange County’s rate was 4.5%, up from 4.1%. Both stayed below the Florida rate of 4.6%.
The figures are the preliminary August 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, so the fair comparison is with the same month a year earlier.
Orlando against the county, state and nation
| Area | August 2026 | August 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Orlando | 4.2% | 3.8% |
| Orange County | 4.5% | 4.1% |
| Florida | 4.6% | 4.3% |
| United States | 4.3% | 4.5% |
All rates are not seasonally adjusted. Sources: BLS series for Orange County, Florida and the United States.
The city and the county each rose 0.4 points from a year earlier, and the state rose 0.3. The national rate moved the other way, from 4.5% to 4.3%. Orlando’s rate is now slightly below the national figure, after sitting well below it a year ago.
The numbers behind the rate
In Orlando in August, according to the BLS:
- 189,600 people were in the labor force, against 188,935 a year earlier.
- 181,719 people had jobs, against 181,736.
- 7,881 people were unemployed, up from 7,199.
Across Orange County:
- 822,275 people were in the labor force, up from 819,287.
- 785,358 people had jobs, against 785,433.
- 36,917 people were unemployed, up from 33,854.
The labor force counts people who have a job or are looking for one. The rate is the share of that labor force without a job and looking. These are counts of residents, wherever they work, not counts of jobs based in Orlando.
In both the city and the county, the number of people working was almost exactly the same as a year ago. The rise in the rate came from more people looking for work.
The past year, month by month
Orlando’s rate moved between 3.8% and 4.5% over the year. It was lowest in August and September 2025 and highest in January 2026.
| Month | Orlando | Orange County |
|---|---|---|
| August 2025 | 3.8% | 4.1% |
| September 2025 | 3.8% | 4% |
| October 2025 | not published | not published |
| November 2025 | 4.3% | 4.8% |
| December 2025 | 4% | 4.4% |
| January 2026 | 4.5% | 4.8% |
| February 2026 | 4.3% | 4.6% |
| March 2026 | 4% | 4.3% |
| April 2026 | 4% | 4.4% |
| May 2026 | 4.1% | 4.4% |
| June 2026 | 4.2% | 4.5% |
| July 2026 | 4.3% | 4.6% |
| August 2026 | 4.2% (preliminary) | 4.5% (preliminary) |
Because the figures are not seasonally adjusted, a change from one month to the next can reflect the season, not a change in the job market. There is no October 2025 figure. The BLS lists that month as unavailable because of the lapse in federal appropriations that fall.
What it means for you
- If you are looking for work, the state’s Employ Florida job board lists openings in and around Orlando.
- The August numbers will change. The BLS marks the latest month as preliminary and revises it the following month.
- September’s figures for the city and county come in the next BLS release for local areas. The national September rate is already out, at 4%. We will update this story when the local figures are published.
- For more on the local economy, see our pages on new businesses and home prices.
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