Florida's unemployment holds steady

BY THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

Florida's unemployment rate held at 4.7 percent from May to June, with the overall number of people without jobs down about 5,000 in that period, according to state Department of Economic Opportunity figures. The preliminary monthly numbers, released Friday, indicate that out of a workforce of about 9.74 million, there were 453,000 Floridians who qualified as unemployed in June. In a news release about the new numbers, Gov. Rick Scott highlighted private-sector job growth. "I am proud to announce that Florida businesses have created more than 102,000 new jobs in the first half of 2016," Scott said in the release, which was tied to an appearance Friday at Port Tampa Bay, where two new gantry cranes were being commissioned. The state's unemployment rate stood at 5 percent when the year began. While the state mark remained stable, the national unemployment rate increased from 4.7 percent to 4.9 percent from May to June. The state's rate is the lowest for Florida since November 2007. The area of the state with the lowest rate in June was Monroe County, which includes the Florida Keys, at 3.1 percent. Hamilton and St. Johns counties in northern Florida were next at 3.7 percent each. The agricultural Hendry County had the highest rate in June, at 10 percent, followed by Citrus and Highlands counties, both at 6.8 percent.