Florida’s labor market adds education jobs. They’re not in public schools

WUSF | By: Gabriella Paul | June 17, 2026

The latest labor data shows a bump in Florida’s education sector.

Over the past year, the state added 36,400 jobs, up 2.3%, in the education and health services industry, according to data released in May by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

But the growth is not in public schools.

The data shows that while the state added 1,400 jobs, an increase of 1.6%, in private schools, local government education services lost 5,600 jobs, a decrease of 1.6%.

“This looks like a substitution effect, it’s crazy,” said Ron Hetrick, the principal economist at job market analysis firm Lightcast.

Andrew Spar, the president of the Florida Education Association, which is a statewide federation representing teachers and education workers, said the numbers don’t surprise him.

He said the tipped scales toward private school growth in Florida reflect the impact of recent state policies, like the private school voucher system.