TALLAHASSEE — Construction jobs showed an uptick for the first time in 2023 as Florida’s near-historic low unemployment rate remained unchanged in June.

The Florida Department of Commerce on Friday announced the jobless rate remained at 2.6%, unchanged since it was 2.7% in December.

For metro Orlando, the rate was 3% in June, up from 2.7% a month earlier.

The June statewide rate represented an estimated 280,000 Floridians qualified as unemployed, up 3,000 from May, from a labor force that grew by 41,000 to 10.998 million.

Lindsay Volpe, deputy secretary of the department’s Division of Workforce Services, said Florida’s rate likely will see little change in the near future. It is slightly above the all-time low of 2.4%, last seen in June 2006.

“This stability is thanks, in part, to Florida’s growing labor force,” Volpe said during a conference call with reporters. “Floridians are confident entering the workforce to find meaningful employment.”

Employment in the construction sector showed an estimated 4,000 new jobs in June, reversing a five-month decline.

The construction slowdown had been attributed to rising mortgage rates affecting demand for new housing, mostly in South Florida.

“Nearly half of the job gains in construction this month, about 47 percent, came from building equipment contractors, which includes plumbing, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) and electrical contracted services,” Volpe said. “While one month is too soon to see a trend, we are seeing promising increases and new construction permitting.”

At the same time, leisure and hospitality jobs, the second biggest growth sector over the past year, dropped by 3,000 jobs in June.

Tourism experts have seen a slowdown in visitors to Central Florida this summer, blaming rising costs, the hot weather and competition for the tourist dollar from other states and countries.

Yes, tourism has slowed in Orlando, but don’t blame Disney vs. DeSantis