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Study finds Jacksonville-area economic impact from pandemic will be ‘severe'

Northeast Florida projected to lose 41,000 jobs

Empty restaurant (WJXT)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A study from the Northeast Florida Regional Council shows the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on Northeast Florida will be about 15% more severe than the national average.

According to the council’s report, the focus of the analysis was on how changes in the national economy will be experienced in Northeast Florida.

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Its model shows that even in a “best-case scenario” more than 41,000 jobs will be lost in the Jacksonville area. That’s 4.2% of the workforce.

READ: Full report from Northeast Florida Regional Council

The study predicts construction, finance and insurance, real estate, health care and the hotel and food service industry will be hit the hardest.

Duval County will see the worst job losses with over 30,000 and will take more than two years to recover the data found.

The model shows St. Johns County will see the second most job losses with more then 4,000 jobs cut, but that county could reach pre-pandemic economic levels by next year.

Every county except for Duval and Putnam will have more people employed by 2022 than before the pandemic.

The council said the goal of releasing the data is to make sure local governments and other organizations move forward with the best information available.

Staff will be breaking down the data – and what it means for each county – with local elected officials.

For more information on the Northeast Florida Regional Council, visit www.nefrc.org/.