Florida has reported 18 consecutive months of private-sector job growth, the office of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Friday. The sunshine state continues to make economic progress, with more job growth, labor force increases, and a decline in the unemployment rate, owing in part to its “successful policies that put Floridians and businesses first,” the governor said. As per a press release, Florida achieved 18 consecutive months of private-sector job growth as of October 2021, adding 44,300 jobs over the month. Overall, the job growth rate has increased 5.7 percent in the state this year. In total, Florida has gained 1,111,000 private-sector jobs since April 2020, representing 89 percent of jobs lost during the pandemic that have been recovered. The private-sector industries that gained the most jobs over the month were leisure and hospitality, which gained 16,600 new jobs; trade, transportation, and utilities which gained 10,400 new jobs; and education and …