Flagler County no longer has one of the highest unemployment rates in the state.
According to numbers released Tuesday by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, Flagler County's unemployment rate stands at 6.9 percent — tied for 14th out of Florida's 67 counties.
Signs all over the county point to the local economy turning around, but Helga van Eckert, executive director of the Flagler County Department of Economic Opportunity, said there is more work to do.
Van Eckert said it's important the county continues to go after new opportunities and maintain relationships with existing businesses.
"Those new jobs that come into the community are great, but the existing businesses and helping them to expand and showing them that we're here for them and that we support them with what they're trying to do is just as important," van Eckert said.
Flagler's unemployment rate for December 2014 stood at 7.6 percent, which ranked No. 2 in the state.
Van Eckert said the county tracks year-to-year numbers rather than on a monthly basis. She said the year-over-year numbers are also improving.
Construction helped prop up Flagler County's employment numbers in the early- to mid-2000s. A decade later, the county is still trying to diversity.
"Residential takes about $1.25 or $1.40 for every dollar they kick in," said Frank Meeker, chairman of the Flagler County Commission. "You know, commercial and industrial can help us get those numbers down and still maintain the quality of life that we so cherish here in Flagler County."
Change doesn't happen overnight, though. Flagler County's economic development team has been in place for about three years, and people who are involved said the improving economy isn't always about landing a Fortune 500 company — although that would help.
"One job at a time," said Ray Peter, area manager of the Palm Coast Business Assistance Center. "We're trying to grow businesses from the ground up."