Kissimmee's jobless rate was 4.8% in August, up from 4.3% a year earlier, with 224 more residents out of work. Osceola County also hit 4.8%; Florida was 4.6%.
Updated Nov. 2: September’s figures are out. Kissimmee’s rate fell to 4.5%; see Kissimmee unemployment falls to 4.5% in September. The BLS revision left August’s rate at 4.8%.
Kissimmee’s unemployment rate was 4.8% in August, up from 4.3% in August 2025. About 2,050 city residents were out of work and looking for a job, 224 more than a year earlier.
Osceola County’s rate was also 4.8%, up from 4.4%. Both were above the Florida rate of 4.6% and the national rate of 4.3%.
The figures are the preliminary August estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Local Area Unemployment Statistics program, which publishes a separate rate for the city. They are not seasonally adjusted, so the fair comparison is with the same month a year earlier.
Kissimmee against the county, state and nation
| Area | August 2026 | August 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Kissimmee | 4.8% | 4.3% |
| Osceola County | 4.8% | 4.4% |
| Orange County | 4.5% | 4.1% |
| Florida | 4.6% | 4.3% |
| United States | 4.3% | 4.5% |
All rates are not seasonally adjusted. Sources: BLS series for Osceola County, Orange County, Florida and the United States.
Kissimmee’s rate rose half a point from a year earlier, more than the county, state or nation. The national rate moved the other way, from 4.5% to 4.3%. A year ago Kissimmee sat below the national rate. It is now half a point above it.
The numbers behind the rate
In Kissimmee in August, according to the BLS:
- 42,461 people were in the labor force, against 42,244 a year earlier.
- 40,411 people had jobs, against 40,418.
- 2,050 people were unemployed, up from 1,826.
Across Osceola County:
- 240,855 people were in the labor force, up from 239,813.
- 229,335 people had jobs, against 229,371.
- 11,520 people were unemployed, up from 10,442.
The labor force counts people who have a job or are looking for one. The rate is the share of that labor force without a job and looking. These are counts of residents, wherever they work, not counts of jobs based in Kissimmee.
In both the city and the county, the number of people working was almost exactly the same as a year ago. The rise in the rate came from more people looking for work.
The past year, month by month
| Month | Kissimmee | Osceola County |
|---|---|---|
| August 2025 | 4.3% | 4.4% |
| September 2025 | 4.2% | 4.3% |
| October 2025 | not published | not published |
| November 2025 | 5% | 5% |
| December 2025 | 4.7% | 4.7% |
| January 2026 | 5% | 5.1% |
| February 2026 | 4.9% | 4.9% |
| March 2026 | 4.5% | 4.6% |
| April 2026 | 4.6% | 4.7% |
| May 2026 | 4.5% | 4.7% |
| June 2026 | 4.8% | 4.8% |
| July 2026 | 4.9% | 4.9% |
| August 2026 | 4.8% (preliminary) | 4.8% (preliminary) |
Kissimmee’s rate moved between 4.2% and 5% over the year. It was lowest in September 2025 and highest in November 2025 and January 2026. Since June it has stayed at 4.8% or 4.9%.
Because the figures are not seasonally adjusted, a change from one month to the next can reflect the season, not a change in the job market. There is no October 2025 figure. The BLS lists that month as unavailable because of the lapse in federal appropriations that fall.
What it means for you
- If you are looking for work, the state’s Employ Florida job board lists openings in and around Kissimmee.
- The August numbers will change. The BLS marks the latest month as preliminary and revises it the following month.
- September’s figures for the city and county come in the next BLS release for local areas. The national September rate is already out, at 4%. We will update this story when the local figures are published.
- For more on the local economy, see our pages on new businesses and home prices.
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