Florida’s jobless rate in October fell to 10.3 percent, a decline of 0.3 percent from the month before, and the lowest since June 2009 when it was 10.2 percent, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) reported Friday.
Job growth continued with Florida adding a net total of 9,500 new jobs in October and a net total of 106,000 jobs since January 2011.
“Florida’s steady job growth and lower unemployment numbers are encouraging,” said DEO Executive Director Doug Darling. “The Department of Economic Opportunity continues to work closely with our partners at Enterprise Florida to create jobs, as well as Workforce Florida and the state’s 24 regional workforce boards to match job seekers with employers and help ensure a well-trained workforce for our state’s current and future labor needs.”
Professional and business services; information; private education and health services; and trade, transportation, and utilities continued to add jobs in October.
Despite the good news, the unemployment rate remains stubbornly in double digits and above the rest of the country. The U.S. unemployment rate was 9.0 percent in October, down 0.1 percentage point from the month prior.
Out of a labor force of 9.2 million, 955,000 Floridians still remain out of work. Florida’s unemployment rate has been higher than the nation’s since February 2008.
