Little Change In Local Job Numbers; Florida’s Rate Best In Four Years

January 19, 2013

The latest job numbers released Friday showed the unemployment rate dropping in almost unchanged in the North Escambia area, while Florida’s unemployment rate dipped to the lowest rate in four years.

Escambia County’s unemployment rate dropped from 8.2 percent in November to an even 8 percent in December.  There were 227 fewer people reported unemployed during the period, for a total Escambia County unemployment of 11,030 people. One year ago, unemployment in Escambia County was 9.7 percent.

Santa Rosa County unemployment increased from 7.1 percent in November  to 7.2  percent in December. Santa Rosa County had a total of 5,159 persons  reported to be still unemployed. The year-ago unemployment rate in Santa Rosa County was 8.9 percent.

In Escambia County, Alabama, unemployment was down slightly from  8.2 percent in November to 8.1 percent in December. That represented 1,169  people unemployed in the county during the month. The year-ago rate was 9.1 percent.

The jobless numbers released by Florida and Alabama do not include persons that have given up on finding a job and are no longer reported as unemployed.

Florida’s unemployment rate dipped to 8 percent in December — the lowest rate in more than four years.

The drop in the unemployment rate also lowered the gap between the state’s jobless figure and the national number, which edged up to 7.8 percent in December. The difference between the state and the national unemployment number had been 0.4 percent in November.

The unemployment rate was the lowest it’s been since November 2008, state officials said.

Currently, 749,000 Floridians are unemployed, with slightly fewer than 7.4 million people holding non-agricultural employment.

Alabama’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, at 7.1 percent in December, was down from November’s rate of 7.5 percent and was below the year-ago rate of 8.0 percent.

Comments

5 Responses to “Little Change In Local Job Numbers; Florida’s Rate Best In Four Years”

  1. Deborah Carnley on January 22nd, 2013 12:15 pm

    I agree that more needs to be done to assist anyone who is trying to change their life to allow them to be able to do so.
    I know of several people who have ben released from prison and are now working at Burger King, which is not a high dollar job, but it is a new beginning for them. They tell me that they were blessed to get these jobs in such a poor economy.
    We all pay the consequences for things that we do wrong.
    And sometimes, patience is such a difficult thing to have when trying to re- establish yourself.
    There are still caring people right here in Florida who want to help those who are really serious about improving their life.
    A lot of the problem is a person’s attitude and perserverence.
    An “I can do this” attitude, will get you much further in life than always feeling defeated.
    Good Luck! My prayers are with you!

  2. Angeleyes on January 21st, 2013 6:06 pm

    I will never give up and I know that I have to live with the consequences of my actions! But thanks and every day I job SEARCH and I try to do positive things. my point was to say that if things don’t change people won’t! I happen to be a person who cares about human life and what you work for is yours. I don’t steal or any of the things that were mentioned in my post but there are plenty of people who could care less about you and yours! They will take it and take you out if you get in the way! I AM SCARED OF THOSE TYPE OF HUMANS BUT THAT IS WHAT SOCIETY IS CREATING BY ISOLATION AND NOT ALLOWING YOU TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR FAMILY! I LIVE A good life so I am blessed everyday. And it is all legal! I just hate that THIS IS THE ATTITUDE OF SO MANY WHEN YOU DO THINGS THAT’S ILLEGAL AND PROBABLY DON’T REALIZE IT UNTIL YOU GET CAUGHT THEN YOU CAN FEEL THE STIGMA OF HAVING THE SCARLET LETTER ON YOUR FOREHEAD! KINDA GETTING USED TO MINE GUESS I HAVE TO BUT WILL the politicians and unforgiving citizens get used to they way our communities are going? NOOOOO!

  3. Henry Coe on January 20th, 2013 2:51 pm

    @Angeleys, with your perspective as a felon, you are making your problem about more than you and your experience. In other words, it sounds like you are doing the “oh poor me” stuff and creating a bunch of fear for yourself in regard to the future and job hunting.

    No one owes felons. They made their beds and have to deal with the consequences. It’s tough to dig yourself out of a hole you created and it sounds like you are still digging , at least emotionally speaking.

    Not everyone likes 12 Step programs, but for felons or anyone that doesn’t know how to live and function in society, that is where the experience is for learning how to change how you were living and/or behaving so you can find a new way to live. It doesn’t happen over night. Depending on how deep and for how long you dug your hole, it might take a while, but others who have been where you are now, are the ones who have the experience and you need to seek their help and ask them how they did it. Likely, they did it one day at a time but they kept at it and found the people with experience that they could depend on.

    You’re right in that you likely can’t get their on your own, but it isn’t the governments job to take you by the hand and show you how to do it, but you do need to figure it out. Never forget though, your felony will always be there. Even though you might be doing all the right things today or 5 years from now, it is still a consequence that you have to live with and live around. What ever you do though, don’t give up.
    Hopefully one day you will be able to help someone else and share the experience that you learn from others.

  4. David Huie Green on January 19th, 2013 10:47 pm

    REGARDING:
    “If they allowed felons more opportunity to take care of their homes and families things would be better for Florida altogether! until; they give felons a chance a few thing are going to continue: continued drug sales, prostitution, burglaries, murders etc.”

    They?
    If THEY allowed felons more opportunity.
    You mean if more people ignored the fact that some people have been convicted of assorted felonies, those convicted felons would find it easier to find jobs.

    This is true.

    The only problem is that if you have two people applying for ONE job and one of them has a history of violence or stealing and the other one doesn’t, you would be stupid to hire the one known to have been dangerous in the past and NOT hire the one who had so far shown decent behavior.

    In fact, you tell us that if they don’t get those jobs, they well continue to sell drugs, prostitute themselves, burglarize people, murder folks. What if they decided you weren’t paying them well enough? Would they still do what you say they will do if you don’t hire them?

    They still have job opportunities but fewer than they did ere they decided to break the law and shoot themselves in the foot.

    David for wise choices
    and recognizing consequences

  5. Angeleyes on January 19th, 2013 1:36 pm

    I would love to be a productive member of society, unfortunately I am no longer allowed to! I don’t believe in these numbers, I believe that the people who are unemployed and account for the majority are felons and nothing can be done to change that, they will remain unemployed or employed for short periods of time. If they allowed felons more opportunity to take care of their homes and families things would be better for Florida altogether! until; they give felons a chance a few thing are going to continue: continued drug sales, prostitution, burglaries, murders etc. We all know this by looking at the news! I hope that thing change soon! I have been very productive with the help of a loving fiance! He helps support me and he builds me up everyday! He see’s the good in me and tells me to make myself better daily! I will keep on watching and waiting for others to realize that something has to happen because everyday the jails are open and they are processing more felons who would try if given a chance