Employment

Issue Overview

What kind of jobs do people in Palm Beach County do? Some of our biggest industries include:

• Tourism, recreation & entertainment
• Communications & information technology
• Aerospace & engineering
• Agriculture & food processing
• Business & financial services
• Life Sciences, including medical & pharmaceutical products.

Who are our top employers? The Palm Beach County School Board, Palm Beach County government, Tenet Healthcare Corp., the Hospital Corporation of America, and Florida Power & Light together employ nearly 50,000 people (Source: bdb.org). Those 50,000 workers make up about 8% of Palm Beach County's workforce.

Another 11.5% of our workforce, over 70,000 people, were ...

...unemployed as of December 2010 (Source: Palm Beach County Workforce Alliance). This was higher than the U.S. unemployment rate - 9.1% - for the same month. Contrast these numbers with a 4% or lower unemployment rate in Palm Beach County for most of 2006.  While there are many important employment topics, such as the educational level of our workforce, fairness in the workplace, and wage laws, today's job-related concerns are largely focused on job creaation and unemployment.

Why does it matter to me?

With more than 1 in 10 of our neighbors out of work, the consequences of unemployment are apparent to almost everyone. Side effects of a high unemployment rate can include increased foreclosures, deteriorating neighborhoods, homelessness, higher crime rates, and increased costs to taxpayers. Unemployment can increase susceptibility to malnutrition, illness, mental stress, and loss of self-esteem. Whether or not it affects you personally, unemployment has a negative impact on society.

What can I do?

If you are facing unemployment personally, get in touch with an organization such as Palm Beach County's Workforce Alliance. Workforce Alliance has career centers, free workshops, training opportunities and more. Nonprofits such as Debthelper.com can help with budget analysis, credit counseling and bankruptcy counseling. Help is available, don't hesitate to ask!

While many unemployment-reducing initiatives must come from government and businesses, individuals can also make contributions.

• Consider volunteering with a local adult education agency, such as the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County. The Literacy Coalition's services are targeted "at the thousands of adults in Palm Beach County whose lack of literacy skills makes them unemployed or underemployed."

• Volunteer at your local public library. Libraries provide many resources for job-seekers, from computers and internet access to resume reviewing services and resources that help individuals prepare for tests like the GRE.

• Shop locally. From farmers' markets to locally-owned boutiques, spending your dollars in Palm Beach County will benefit your neighbors ... and you!