Lazaro Aleman: Greene Publishing, Inc.
Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained 4.1 percent in July, unchanged from the previous month and 0.2-percentage point lower than the national rate of 4.3 percent. The 4.1 percent remains the lowest jobless rate in Florida since July 2007, right before the start of the Great Recession.
In Madison County, the jobless rate rose to 5.0 in July, up 0.1-percentage point from the revised rate of 4.9 percent, reported as 4.7 percent last month. In Jefferson County, the jobless rate rose to 4.6 percent in July, also up 0.1-percentage point from June’s rate of 4.5 percent. These are the latest statistics released from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (FDEO).
Statewide, 411,000 Floridians were unemployed in June out of a labor force of 10,114,000; not counting persons who had given up the job search, were underemployed, or employed part time. Florida’s seasonally adjusted total nonagricultural employment was 8,634,300 in July, an increase of 32,700 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 5.0 percent rate translates into 355 jobless persons out of a labor force of 7,154 in July, compared with 350 jobless persons out of a labor force of 7,179 in June, when the rate was 4.9 percent. All told, 6,799 people were employed in Madison County in July, compared with 6,829 in June. In June 2016, the comparable figures were 415 jobless persons out of a labor force of 7,400 and 6,985 employed when the unemployment rate was 5.6 percent.
For Jefferson County, the 4.6 percent rate translates into 252 jobless persons out of a labor force of 5,519 in July, compared with 247 jobless persons out of a labor force of 5,525 in June, when the rate was 4.5 percent. All told, 5,267 people were employed in Jefferson County in July, compared with 5,278 in June. In July 2016, the comparable figures were 301 jobless persons out of a workforce of 5,406 and 5,105 employed when the unemployment rate was 5.6 percent.
Statewide, the industry gaining the most jobs was construction, up 35,800 jobs, followed by education and health services, up 35,600 jobs; professional and business services, up 35,400 jobs; leisure and hospitality, up 32,900 jobs; trade, transportation, and utilities, up 30,600 jobs; other services, up 19,100 jobs; government, up 14,200 jobs; manufacturing, up 11,700 jobs; and financial activities, up 10,700 jobs.
Monroe County continued to claim the state’s lowest unemployment rate at 2.8 percent, followed by St. Johns County at 3.3 percent and Okaloosa and Walton counties at 3.4 percent.
Hendry County continued to have the highest unemployment rate at 10.9 percent, followed by Hardee County at 7.5 percent and Citrus County at 6.5 percent.