Lakeland's jobless rate fell to 5.1% in September, from 5.6% in August, and dipped below last year's level. It is still above Florida's 4.2%.
Lakeland’s unemployment rate fell to 5.1% in September, down from 5.6% in August. That is the city’s lowest rate since July 2025, according to preliminary figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
It is also the first month since at least January 2024 in which Lakeland’s rate was lower than a year earlier. In September 2025 it was 5.2%.
The city still sits well above the state and the nation. Florida’s rate was 4.2% in September and the U.S. rate was 4.0%, on the same not seasonally adjusted basis.
The numbers
The BLS counted 2,726 Lakeland residents as unemployed in September. That is 274 fewer than in August and 46 fewer than a year earlier.
| Lakeland | September 2025 | August 2026 | September 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 5.6% | 5.1% |
| Unemployed | 2,772 | 3,000 | 2,726 |
| Employed | 50,759 | 50,472 | 50,742 |
| Labor force | 53,531 | 53,472 | 53,468 |
The number of residents with jobs rose by 270 from August. It is now almost exactly where it was a year ago.
The labor force has barely moved. That means the drop in the rate came from people finding work, not from people leaving the job market.
Some of the fall is seasonal. These figures are not adjusted for the time of year, and Lakeland’s rate often eases in September. In 2024 it dropped from 4.9% in August to 4.4% in September.
Still higher than two years ago
The longer trend is less rosy. Lakeland’s September rate has climbed each year until now:
- September 2023: 4.0%
- September 2024: 4.4%
- September 2025: 5.2%
- September 2026: 5.1%
The rate peaked this year at 6.1% in January.
The BLS published no October 2025 figure. It says the data is unavailable because of the 2025 lapse in federal appropriations.
How Lakeland compares
Polk County as a whole was at 5.2% in September, down from 5.6% in August, according to the BLS county series.
Neighbors differ sharply:
- Winter Haven, about 14 miles east: 5.4%, according to the BLS Winter Haven series
- Plant City, about 10 miles west in Hillsborough County: 4.3%, according to the BLS Plant City series
The Florida figure comes from the BLS state series and the U.S. figure from the national series. Both are not seasonally adjusted, so they compare directly with the city numbers.
What it means for you
If you are looking for work, September’s figures are the best Lakeland has posted in more than a year. But the rate is still higher than it was in September 2023 or September 2024.
Free help is close by. CareerSource Polk, the county’s public workforce board, runs its Lakeland Career Center at 309 N. Ingraham Ave. The center is open 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday. The phone number is 863-508-1100.
The board offers:
- job search and resume help
- mock interviews
- tuition help for eligible career changers
- programs for young adults ages 16 to 24
CareerSource Polk also lists a Better Together Job Fair from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday at 560 Third St. SW in Winter Haven.
The September local figures are preliminary and can be revised when the BLS publishes October’s. For housing costs in the city, see our Lakeland home prices page.
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