5,574 Port St. Lucie residents were out of work and looking in September, 285 fewer than in August. The rate is 4.7%; the county's is 5% and Florida's 4.2%.
Port St. Lucie’s unemployment rate fell to 4.7% in September, its lowest this year. The figure from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is preliminary.
The city series counts 5,574 residents who were out of work and looking for a job. That is 285 fewer than in August. It is 80 more than in September 2025, when the rate was 4.6%.
The labor force was 118,650, up slightly from August but down from 119,123 a year earlier.
August revised up
The bureau revised August to 5%, from the 4.9% first reported. It now counts 5,859 unemployed residents that month. Our August story carried the first figures.
This year’s rate has ranged from 5.4% in January to 4.7% in September. The last month on record with a lower rate was September 2025.
How the city compares
Port St. Lucie’s rate was below St. Lucie County’s and Indian River County’s, a little above Martin County’s and above the state’s:
| Area | September 2026 | September 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Port St. Lucie | 4.7% | 4.6% |
| St. Lucie County | 5% | 4.9% |
| Martin County | 4.6% | 4.6% |
| Indian River County | 5.2% | 5.3% |
| Florida | 4.2% | 4.2% |
St. Lucie County counted 8,561 unemployed residents in September, against 8,429 a year earlier.
What the numbers can and cannot tell you
- The rates are not seasonally adjusted. They rise and fall with the seasons, so the fairest test is the same month a year apart. On that test, the city is 0.1 point higher.
- Who counts as unemployed: people without a job who looked for one in the past four weeks. People who have stopped looking are not counted.
- The figures are by where people live. A Port St. Lucie resident who works in Stuart or West Palm Beach counts here.
- September is preliminary. The bureau revises it with next month’s release.
What it means for you
- Out of work? Florida’s reemployment assistance is run by FloridaCommerce. Apply through its Reemployment Assistance Service Center.
- City jobs are posted on the City of Port St. Lucie careers page.
- Building is busy. The city authorized 566 new homes in September, including its first apartment permits since January 2025. Read our story on the permit figures.
Have your say