Florida led the country last quarter in mortgage industry layoffs

Florida led the country in shedding jobs in the mortgage industry in the third quarter, thanks largely to a single company: Taylor, Bean & Whitaker.

According to an analysis by MortgageDaily.com, Florida lost 1,355 more mortgage jobs than it created in the quarter, far more than the No. 2 net loser Washington state (824 jobs). Florida's tally was bolstered considerably by the implosion of Ocala-based lender Taylor Bean, which laid off about 1,000 workers in its headquarters before filing for bankruptcy.

All told, mortgage employers eliminated 710 more positions during the third quarter than they added. The net loss reversed a second quarter gain but the rate of contraction has slowed considerably from two years ago. In 2007, mortgage lenders shed 87,000 more jobs than they added, MortgageDaily.com reported.

Jeff Harrington can be reached at jharrington@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8242. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/jeffmharrington.