Lazaro Aleman: Greene Publishing, Inc.
Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped to 4.5 percent in April, down 0.3-percentage points from March’s rate of 4.8 percent and 0.1-percentage point higher than the national rate of 4.4 percent.
In Madison County, the jobless rate was 4.2 percent, down from 4.8 percent in March (originally reported as 4.7 percent) and in Jefferson County, it was 4.0 percent in April, down from the revised rate of 4.4 percent in March (originally reported as 4.5 percent). These are the latest figures released by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (FDEO).
Statewide, 460,000 Floridians were unemployed in April out of a labor force of 10,142,000, not counting persons who had given up the job search, were underemployed, or employed part time.
Florida’s seasonally adjusted total nonagricultural employment was 8,552,500 in April, an increase of 10,900 jobs over the month, according to the FDEO. Seasonally adjusted means the numbers have been purged of seasonal and other factors that could skew the results. The numbers for the individual counties, however, are not seasonally adjusted.
For Madison County, the 4.2 percent rate translates into 310 jobless persons in April out of a labor force of 7,341, compared to 352 jobless persons out of a labor force of 7,379 in March, when the rate was 4.8 percent. All told, 7,031 people were employed in Madison County in April, compared to 7,027 in March. In April 2016, the comparable figures were 382 jobless persons out of a labor force of 7,417 and 7,035 employed when the unemployment rate was 5.2 percent.
For Jefferson County, the 4.0 percent rate translates into 224 jobless persons in April out of a labor force of 5,548, compared to 247 jobless persons out of a labor force of 5,580 in March, when the rate was 4.4 percent. All told, 5,324 people were employed in Jefferson County in April, compared to 5,333 in March. In April 2016, the comparable figures were 271 jobless persons out of a workforce of 5,413 and 5,142 employed when the unemployment rate was 5.0 percent.
Statewide, the industry gaining the most jobs was professional and business services, up 39,500 jobs; followed by trade, transportation and utilities, up 36,600 jobs; construction, up 34,400 jobs; education and health services, up 32,700 jobs; leisure and hospitality, up 30,500 jobs; other services, up 12,500 jobs; financial activities, up 11,700 jobs; manufacturing, up 11,100 jobs; government, up 6,300 jobs; and information, up 200 jobs.
Monroe County continued to have the state’s lowest unemployment rate at 2.6 percent, followed by St. Johns County at 3.0 percent, and Okaloosa and Wakulla counties at 3.2 percent.
Hendry County continued to have the highest unemployment rate at 6.0 percent, followed by Sumter County at 5.7 percent and Citrus County at 5.5 percent.