Sarasota County, FL jobs, unemployment and layoffs

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Show me jobs near meSarasota County economy
4.7%
unemployment, Sep 2026
4.7% the month before
201,260
in the labor force
Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
449,011
people in Sarasota County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
$80,633
median household income
Source: Census ACS
40%
of workers in white-collar occupations
Management, business, financial and professional; Census ACS
Sarasota 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 7.4% from 2022 to 2025
- Population up 10.0% from 2020 to 2025
- Unemployment 4.7%, unchanged from a year ago
- Sectors adding the most jobs: health care (+4,613 jobs), retail (+2,974 jobs)
- Sectors losing the most jobs: manufacturing (−857 jobs), admin & staffing (−556 jobs)
Local job-market news
Recent headlines about layoffs, AI and jobs in Sarasota County. Each link goes to the publisher.
- How a 50-year Sarasota pet store ended up nearly emptySixers Wire · Oct 29, 2026
- Manatee steel plant to close, 55 job cuts plannedBusiness Observer · Oct 19, 2026
- Nebraska steel manufacturer to close Sarasota facility, lay off employeesThe Business Journals · Oct 19, 2026
- Sarasota recycling facility introduces AI sorting machineBay News 9 · Oct 13, 2026
- Downtown Sarasota restaurant fire prompts earlier-than-planned closingBusiness Observer · Oct 7, 2026
Learn and get funded in Sarasota 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.
Sarasota County layoffs
3
Layoff notices, last 12 months
137
workers named
A floor: states may leave out counts
3
employers
| Notice date | Employer | City or county | Workers | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Behlen Building Systems | SARASOTA | 55 | — | State record | |
| Freight Handlers, LLC (FHI) | SARASOTA | 17 | — | State record | |
| ACL Roofing | ENGLEWOOD | 65 | — | State record |
Employers hiring most in Sarasota 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.
- Slidell Memorial Hospital7 open roles
- Caci, Inc. - Federal5 open roles
- Atwell4 open roles
- Brookdale Senior Living4 open roles
- PNC Financial Services Group4 open roles
- Amgen3 open roles
- EoS Fitness3 open roles
- Heico3 open roles
- Springhill Memorial Hospital3 open roles
- Springhill Memorial Hospital3 open roles
Colleges in Sarasota County
| College | City | Type | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ringling College of Art and Design | Sarasota | Private non-profit 4-year | 1,000–4,999 |
| New College of Florida | Sarasota | Public 4-year | Under 1,000 |
Workforce development and job centers
The public workforce board and American Job Centers serving Sarasota 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 Suncoast
Manatee, Sarasota
CareerSource Suncoast
Sarasota · Comprehensive · 941-358-4200
8:30-5:00 Mon-Fri
Cities in Sarasota County
Other Florida counties
Laid off or looking for work in Sarasota 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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