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Local Jobless Rate Drops
November 21, 2010
The latest job numbers released Friday show the unemployment rate in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties dropping by a half percentage point, with over 1,300 people returning to work.
Escambia County’s unemployment dropped by a half percentage point— down from 11.0 percent in September to 10.5 percent in August. That represented 875 retuning to work for a total Escambia County unemployment of 14,795 people. One year ago, unemployment in Escambia County was 10.2 percent.
Santa Rosa County also recorded a half percentage point drop in unemployment— from 9.8 percent in September to 9.3 percent in October. Santa Rosa County gained 459 jobs during the period, with a total of 6,627 persons still unemployed. The year-ago unemployment rate in Santa Rosa County was 9.4 percent.
The unemployment rate in Escambia County, Ala., held held steady at 10.6 percent from September to October, representing 1,538 unemployed. Last year’s unemployment rate for the same period in Escambia County was 12.6 percent.
Florida’s unemployment rate remained unchanged in October, holding at 11.9 percent from September but still above the 11.3 figure posted a year ago, the Agency for Workforce Development reported Friday.
The lack of improvement in the state’s jobless rate was blamed on continued sluggishness in housing and credit markets that has idled construction and slowed sales of existing property. The national seasonally adjusted average was 9.6 percent
The state’s top labor officials said the plateau has a bright side, a 35,700 increase in the number of available jobs, the strongest year-to-year increase since May 2007. Such growth may be contributing to improved consumer confidence, which according to a University of Florida rose six points in October from the previous month.
“While Florida’s unemployment rate did not decrease this month, we continue to see positive signs of stabilization and growth,” said AWI Director Cynthia Lorenzo, noting also that Florida led the nation last week in the decrease of first-time unemployment applicants.
Alabama’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, at 8.9 percent in October, remained unchanged from September’s rate of 8.9 percent but was below the year-ago rate of 10.8 percent.
Comments
7 Responses to “Local Jobless Rate Drops”
REGARDING:
” You have no idea what it is like to try to find a job in a rural area. . . . How would you like to know that your only option at a job was 50 miles away in Pensacola ”
Those who remain in rural areas when jobs are elsewhere believe the benefits of living in the country are better than the benefits of living in the city. That’s a personal decision. (Note that Crestview is about as close to you, too.)
If you were a gem cutter, ski instructor, gold prospector, snowplow operator, a seismologist, snowmobile mechanic, gondolier, an ice road trucker, an apple picker, a nuclear engineer, a rocket scientist, a hula dancer, a mercenary, a merchant marine, a stone mason, a coal/diamond/copper miner, or a car-maker, you would likely find it really hard finding a job around here. Further, some jobs don’t pay well no matter where you are.
It is possible to find work where the work is to be found or to learn to work in another field. (Field work????) Some live and work all over the world, not because they want to see the world, but because that is where the work is.
Just a thought
I live in Jay, have for 8 years now, and have commuted to work to Pensacola that whole time. Was unemployed with the recession Reagan brought on, so yes I have collected unemployment before but usually was able to find work again before it ran out. I’m not one to sit at home and when you are a single mom during most of that time and have no-one else to rely on to feed your kids, you take a job no matter what it is plain and simple. I know how rough it can be to get out there and hit the pavement day after day, being told no for all sorts of reasons from under qualifed to over qualified, to we are just taking applications on a hire freeze. Make you not want to even bother sometimes. For those that are actually looking for work GOOD LUCK TO YOU. For those sitting on thier butts at home either thinking they got it made living off the goverment, don’t for get it OUR taxes that is paying for that privelge.
This is in response to Big chief & Bamcubz’s comment. Yes, I am sure there are some out there that abuse unemployment benefits but most do not. You make it sound like this is just welfare for the lazy people of this world. Apparently, you have no idea what it is like to be out of work by NO FAULT OF YOUR OWN during a recession. Never received nor applied for food stamps. I am 52 year old female, 5′2″ tall, 115 lbs and worked since I was 16 years old except for the year I went to college. That is 35 yrs of work/college. You have no idea what it is like to try to find a job in a rural area. Things are different now than years ago. You are required to lift 50-100 lbs for many jobs today. Now you tell me at my age, height and weight how I am suppose to do that. Yes, I did lift up to 50 lbs for many years and would love to be able to do it but no longer can. The last job I was employed at for almost 12 years. Apparently, those who condemn unemployment are still employed or have plenty of money to survive! How would you like to know that your only option at a job was 50 miles away in Pensacola and the wage $7.25 hr. 100 miles per day for gas cost including wear and tear on a vehicle and almost 2 hrs per day of travel. $7.25 x 40 = $290.00 Now subtract taxes, gas expenses out of this. Forget any kind of deduction on health insurance because there will not even be enough left to pay monthly bills. I suppose some believe government should just keep giving to the rich and just forget about those that have worked all their life and out of a job by no fault of their own.
And some of us gave up and collected S.S.I. because we can’t find a job at 62. Even though we can’t prove it no one wants to hire us because we are too old! I can lift 100lbs. and work circles around some of these kids, and I’m only 5″ tall and 62 yrs. old…how about giving us a chance employers??!!
Well now that their unemployment has run out, some of them may actually go out and look for a job. Even if its one they were too proud to take several months ago, when you have no income at all and you lights and water are being turned off, then maybe you will swallow your pride. Be glad minimum wage is what it is because it is better than nothing. Some of you may have to take a wage cut or even work two jobs but to keep your family feed you have to do what you have to do. (yes, I know several people this applies to).
Many of these folks are not looking for work because the government keeps extending unemployment and food stamp benefits.
I know two people who are on their 4th extension and neither has even turned in one single job application.
State government needs to do a better job of keeping tabs on these folks to ensure that they are at least making an effort to find work.
I wish there were a hotline where we could report fraud, waste and abuse of these benefit programs,
Has it ever occurred to these so called Geniuses that the jobless rate dropped because the 1300 that they claimed went back to work, DID NOT GO BACK TO WORK, they simply ran out of unemployment benefits and can no longer file for benefits? I mean, they base these statistics on the number of people filing claims. They think that just because 1300 less people than usual filed, that they must’ve went back to work. WRONG ASSUMPTION.