Lazaro Aleman
Greene Publishing, Inc.
For the third consecutive month, Florida’s seasonally adjusted jobless rate remained unchanged at 4.7 percent in July, 0.2-percentage point down from the national rate, which was 4.9 percent.
These are the latest employment figures released by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (FDEO).
The report shows Madison County with a 5.5 percent, up from 5.4 percent in the previous month. For Jefferson County, July’s jobless rate was also 5.5 percent, up from the 5.3 percent rate in June.
Statewide, 456,000 Floridians were jobless in July out of a labor force of 9,727,000 — not counting persons who had given up the job search, were underemployed, or employed part time.
Florida’s seasonally adjusted total nonagricultural employment, meanwhile, was 8,359,300 in July — an increase of 28,100 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 5.5 percent translates into 413 jobless persons out of a labor force of 7,457, compared with 403 jobless persons out of a labor force of 7,458 in June, when the rate was 5.4 percent. All told, 7,044 people were employed in Madison County in July, compared with 7,055 in June.
In July 2015, the comparable figures were 494 jobless persons out of a labor force of 7,489, and 6,995 employed when the unemployment rate was 6.3 percent.
For Jefferson County, the 5.5 percent translates into 300 jobless persons out of a labor force of 5,416, compared with 288 jobless persons out of a labor force of 5,389 in June, when the rate also was 5.3 percent. All told, 5,116 people were employed in Jefferson County in July, compared with 5,101 in June.
In July 2015, the comparable figures were 343 jobless persons out of a workforce of 5,390 and 5,047 employed when the unemployment rate was 6.4 percent.
Statewide, the industry gaining the most jobs was professional and business services, up 53,400 jobs, followed by education and health services, up 48,800 jobs; leisure and hospitality, up 41,100 jobs; trade, transportation and utilities, up 30,700 jobs; construction, up 26,500 jobs; government, up 18,200 jobs; financial activities, up 18,000 jobs; manufacturing, up 11,600 jobs; and other services, up 4,400 jobs.
The only industry that continued to lose jobs over the year was information, down 2,300 jobs.
Monroe County continued to have the state’s lowest unemployment rate at 3.3 percent, followed by St. Johns counties at 3.8 percent; and Lafayette and Okaloosa counties at 4.1 percent.
Hendry County continued to have the state’s highest unemployment rate at 11.7 percent, followed by Hardee County at 7.6 percent; and Citrus and Highland counties at 7.3 percent.