Polk County, FL jobs, unemployment and layoffs
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Show me jobs near mePolk County economy
5.2%
unemployment, Sep 2026
5.2% the month before
364,459
in the labor force
Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
760,961
people in Polk County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
$63,644
median household income
Source: Census ACS
32%
of workers in white-collar occupations
Management, business, financial and professional; Census ACS
Polk County outlook: Building
Built from public Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census figures. It describes the area, not any one employer in it.
- Private-sector jobs up 4.4% from 2022 to 2025
- Population up 19.8% from 2020 to 2025
- Unemployment 5.2%, unchanged from a year ago
- Sectors adding the most jobs: health care (+4,863 jobs), construction (+1,481 jobs)
- Sectors losing the most jobs: finance & insurance (−835 jobs), agriculture (−495 jobs)
Learn and get funded in Polk County
- Which AI skills each kind of job asks for, with the pay premium.
- Your local workforce board and American Job Centers: training vouchers and re-employment help.
- Grants and funding for job seekers, ranked for your state and situation.
- Unemployment benefits by state, if you are between jobs.
Polk County layoffs
10
Layoff notices, last 12 months
522
workers named
A floor: states may leave out counts
6
employers
| Notice date | Employer | City or county | Workers | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geico | LAKELAND | 114 | — | State record | |
| The Mosaic Company | FORT MEADE | 199 | — | State record | |
| Parallel Florida, LLC | LAKELAND | 54 | — | State record | |
| Freight Handlers, LLC (FHI) | LAKELAND | 38 | — | State record | |
| Freight Handlers, LLC (FHI) | LAKELAND | 38 | — | State record | |
| Freight Handlers, LLC (FHI) | LAKELAND | 38 | — | State record | |
| Freight Handlers, LLC (FHI) | LAKELAND | 37 | — | State record | |
| Conduent | DAVENPORT | 1 | — | State record | |
| Conduent | POINCIANA | 1 | — | State record | |
| Stryker Employment Services | LAKELAND | 2 | — | State record |
Employers hiring most in Polk County
Employers with the most open professional roles in this county’s cities. The county is taken from each job’s city, so roles with no city are not counted.
- SouthState Bank, National Association16 open roles
- State of Florida13 open roles
- Polk County FL9 open roles
- Walmart6 open roles
- Amazon4 open roles
- Polk County Public Schools4 open roles
- Arkema3 open roles
- Carvana3 open roles
- GPAC3 open roles
- Top Echelon Network (recruiter member boards)3 open roles
Colleges in Polk County
| College | City | Type | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polk State College | Winter Haven | Public 4-year | 10,000–19,999 |
| Southeastern University | Lakeland | Private non-profit 4-year | 10,000–19,999 |
| Florida Polytechnic University | Lakeland | Public 4-year | 1,000–4,999 |
| Florida Southern College | Lakeland | Private non-profit 4-year | 1,000–4,999 |
| Warner University | Lake Wales | Private non-profit 4-year | Under 1,000 |
| Webber International University | Babson Park | Private non-profit 4-year | Under 1,000 |
Workforce development and job centers
The public workforce board and American Job Centers serving Polk County. They offer free help with job search, training and filing for benefits.
Laid off in Florida? How to file for unemployment in Florida (steps, weekly amount and the appeal deadline).
CareerSource Polk (CareerSource Polk Haines City)
Haines City · Affiliate
First Tuesday of every month (Job search) all other times by appointment only (Closed Saturday & Sunday).
CareerSource Polk
Lakeland · Comprehensive · 863-508-1100
Mon-Thur7:30-4:00, Fri 7:30-12:30
Cities in Polk County
Other Florida counties
Laid off or looking for work in Polk County?
See what to do first and the jobs open near you.
See your options after a layoffSources: Census Bureau and BLS (county unemployment is not seasonally adjusted); layoff notices from Florida’s published record; job counts from our live job board; IPEDS for colleges; CareerOneStop for workforce boards and job centers. Florida unemployment benefits and severance rules.
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