Palatka, Florida

==Economy==

The composition of the Palatka area economy is unreflective of Florida as a whole. Unlike many cities in the state, Palatka has a large manufacturing sector, employing 17.2% of the city's total civilian workforce.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ADPTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=16000US1253875&-qr_name=ACS_2009_5YR_G00_DP5YR3&-ds_name=ACS_2009_5YR_G00_&-_lang=en&-redoLog=false&-_sse=on |title=American Factfinder; Palatka |publisher=United States Census Bureau |date=2005–2009 |access-date=February 3, 2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200210212552/http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ADPTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=16000US1253875&-qr_name=ACS_2009_5YR_G00_DP5YR3&-ds_name=ACS_2009_5YR_G00_&-_lang=en&-redoLog=false&-_sse=on |archive-date=February 10, 2020 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Comparatively, Florida's statistics indicate 5.9% of the state's entire workforce is employed by the manufacturing sector.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ADPTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=04000US12&-qr_name=ACS_2009_5YR_G00_DP5YR3&-ds_name=ACS_2009_5YR_G00_&-_lang=en&-_sse=on |title=American Factfinder; Florida |publisher=United States Census Bureau |date=2005–2009 |access-date=February 3, 2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200210210652/http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ADPTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=04000US12&-qr_name=ACS_2009_5YR_G00_DP5YR3&-ds_name=ACS_2009_5YR_G00_&-_lang=en&-_sse=on |archive-date=February 10, 2020 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Georgia Pacific is the single largest private employer in the city. The [[Koch Industries|Koch]]-owned firm employs 1,470 people at its pulp, paper, and plywood operations.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eflorida.com/profiles/CountyReport.asp?CountyID=35&Display=all  |title=Putnam County Profile |publisher=eflorida |access-date=February 3, 2011}}</ref> PDM Bridge is another large manufacturing company operating in Palatka. Their facility is located in [[Barge Port]] on the St. Johns River. The [[Eau Claire, Wisconsin]]-based bridge builder utilizes the river for the transportation of its finished products.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pdmbridge.com/index.cfm?event=DisplayContentPieceById&contentPieceId=442 |title=Who we are |publisher=PDM Bridge, LLC |access-date=February 3, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319200636/http://www.pdmbridge.com/index.cfm?event=DisplayContentPieceById&contentPieceId=442 |archive-date=March 19, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> PDM Bridge is notable for the fabrication of the [[Woodrow Wilson Bridge]] structure.

The Palatka area was of early significance in accessing the interior of the state. This significance was due to its location at the end of an expansive portion of waterway at the divide between the upper and  lower [[St. Johns River]]. First established as a trading outpost, tourism would eventually boom and fuel growth for decades. The decline of [[ferry|waterborne]] travel in Northeast Florida, and the United States in general, ultimately reduced the importance of tourism in the city. Nowadays, large international airports and bypassing interstate highways carry vacationers to destinations further south. Only 7.1% of Palatka's labor force works in arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, and food services,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ADPTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=16000US1253875&-qr_name=ACS_2009_5YR_G00_DP5YR3&-ds_name=ACS_2009_5YR_G00_&-_lang=en&-redoLog=false&-_sse=on |title=American Factfinder; Palatka Economic Data |publisher=United States Census Bureau |date=2005–2009 |access-date=February 3, 2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200210212552/http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ADPTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=16000US1253875&-qr_name=ACS_2009_5YR_G00_DP5YR3&-ds_name=ACS_2009_5YR_G00_&-_lang=en&-redoLog=false&-_sse=on |archive-date=February 10, 2020 |url-status=dead }}</ref> compared to Florida's 15.5% across tourist related industries.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ADPTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=04000US12&-qr_name=ACS_2009_5YR_G00_DP5YR3&-ds_name=ACS_2009_5YR_G00_&-_lang=en&-_sse=on |title=American Factfinder; Florida Economic Data |publisher=United States Census Bureau |date=2005–2009 |access-date=February 3, 2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200210210652/http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ADPTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=04000US12&-qr_name=ACS_2009_5YR_G00_DP5YR3&-ds_name=ACS_2009_5YR_G00_&-_lang=en&-_sse=on |archive-date=February 10, 2020 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In recent years, the Putnam County government has adopted policies focused on facilitating [[Ecotourism]] in the region. Nature trails are being expanded and kayaking waterways have been improved and mapped. Portions of the [[Florida Trail]] runs through the area and connect local hiking trails to other trail systems in parks throughout the region.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.putnam-fl.com/putnam_uploads/uploads/planning_documents/Putnam_County_Trails_Plan_032409.pdf |title=Putnam County Trails Master Plan |publisher=Putnam County Board of County Commissioners |year=2009 |access-date=February 3, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819115343/http://www.putnam-fl.com/putnam_uploads/uploads/planning_documents/Putnam_County_Trails_Plan_032409.pdf |archive-date=August 19, 2014 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref> [[Ocala National Forest]]  is the second largest National Forest in the state. Other large parks include [[Welaka State Forest]], [[Etoniah Creek State Forest]] and [[Dunns Creek|Dunns Creek State Park]]. Other conservation areas exist under the management of the Putnam Land Conservancy and [[St. Johns River Water Management District]]. Both entities operate regionally and identify and protect ecologically sensitive areas.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.putnamlandconservancy.org |title=About Your Putnam Land Conservancy |publisher=Putnam Land Conservancy, Inc |date= 2011-02-02 |access-date=February 3, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.sjrwmd.com/overview.html |title= Overview and mission |publisher= St. Johns River Water Management District |year= 2010 |access-date= February 3, 2011 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101222000458/http://sjrwmd.com/overview.html |archive-date= December 22, 2010 }}</ref> If progress continues, and ecotourism creates a vibrant local economy, economic incentives could drive further preservation of the natural habitats, benefitting the environment as a whole.

Of residents aged 16 years and over, 53.3% were in the labor force; 45.6% were employed and 7.6% unemployed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ADPTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=16000US1253875&-qr_name=ACS_2009_5YR_G00_DP5YR3&-ds_name=ACS_2009_5YR_G00_&-_lang=en&-redoLog=false&-_sse=on |title=American Factfinder |publisher=United States Census Bureau |date=2005–2009 |access-date=February 3, 2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200210212552/http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ADPTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=16000US1253875&-qr_name=ACS_2009_5YR_G00_DP5YR3&-ds_name=ACS_2009_5YR_G00_&-_lang=en&-redoLog=false&-_sse=on |archive-date=February 10, 2020 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Compared to Florida's average, Palatka has a higher percentage of unemployed. Of the same survey, the State's unemployment was 4.6% of the available labor force.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ADPTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=04000US12&-qr_name=ACS_2009_5YR_G00_DP5YR3&-ds_name=ACS_2009_5YR_G00_&-_lang=en&-_sse=on |title=American Factfinder |publisher=United States Census Bureau |date=2005–2009 |access-date=February 3, 2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200210210652/http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ADPTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=04000US12&-qr_name=ACS_2009_5YR_G00_DP5YR3&-ds_name=ACS_2009_5YR_G00_&-_lang=en&-_sse=on |archive-date=February 10, 2020 |url-status=dead }}</ref>  The current Florida unemployment rate, published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, stands at 7.0%.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.fl.htm |title=Florida |publisher=U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |date=December 2010 |access-date=February 3, 2011}}</ref> The Palatka area is bordered on all sides by four separate [[metropolitan statistical area]]s. Of those, the [[Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach metropolitan area|Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach]], [[Gainesville, Florida metropolitan area|Gainesville]], and [[Jacksonville metropolitan area|Jacksonville]] metropolitan statistical areas all had better performing unemployment statistics than Palatka in 2011, when the unemployment rate in the Palatka Micropolitan Statistical Area was 13.8%.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://data.bls.gov/pdq/SurveyOutputServlet;jsessionid=59AA71E3062D14A181D0972535C39C73.tc_instance4 |title=Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Palatka |publisher=U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics  |date=December 2010 |access-date=February 3, 2011}}</ref> Gainesville showed the most favorable conditions with an unemployment rate of 8.7%.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://data.bls.gov/pdq/SurveyOutputServlet;jsessionid=5BDABC742512602D68A0D939EB8EC604.tc_instance4 |title=Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Gainesville |publisher=U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics  |date=December 2010 |access-date=February 3, 2011}}</ref> Statistics for Palm Coast and Ocala both indicated unemployment rates higher than that of Palatka. Regionally, the employment numbers of Palm Coast have been hit hardest; the bedroom community has an unemployment rate currently at 16.6%.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://data.bls.gov/pdq/SurveyOutputServlet;jsessionid=F3DFE16D3F64637AD71B02E2A513BBB1.tc_instance4 |title=Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Palm Coast |publisher=U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics  |date=December 2010 |access-date=February 3, 2011}}</ref>