It is not surprising given Citrus County's explosive population growth that the Retail Trade and the Services sectors dominate employment with 26.1 percent and 30.8 percent of all employment. Some of the key characteristics of the labor force and employment are listed below. Manufacturing, while still a small percentage of overall employment, has been one of Citrus Counties fastest growing sectors. Total manufacturing employment increased nearly 400 percent between 1980 and 1996. The percentage increase was one of the highest among Florida's 67 counties.
Citrus County is a leader in the manufacture of stone, clay, glass, and concrete products.
High tech industries such as industrial and commercial machinery and computer equipment and instruments and related products are some of the fastest growing sectors of the county's economy. In the Services sector, health services is the leading employer with over 3,500 employees. Citrus County is a leader in fish and shellfish landings ranking 14 th of 37 coastal counties in total landings with 3.8 million pounds and 8 th overall in shellfish landings with 2.06 million pounds in 1994. Wages and Income Wages in Citrus County are generally below the state average for comparable jobs. For example, carpenters, data entry keyers, office managers, and production workers have median wages less than 90 percent of the state average.