Florida Unemployment Dips; Steady To Increasing Rate Locally

March 19, 2013

The latest jobs numbers released Monday show the unemployment rate steady or increasing the North Escambia area, while the state jobless rate in Florida and Alabama decreased slightly.

Escambia County’s unemployment rate held steady at 7.8 percent from December to January.  There were 34 fewer people reported unemployed during the period, for a total Escambia County unemployment of 10,924 people. One year ago, unemployment in Escambia County was 9.1 percent.

Santa Rosa County unemployment increased from 7.1 percent in December  to 7.3  percent in January. Santa Rosa County had a total of 5,421 persons  reported to be still unemployed. The year-ago unemployment rate in Santa Rosa County was 8.9 percent.

In Escambia County, Alabama, unemployment jumped from 8.1  percent in December to 9.7 percent in January. That represented 1,372  people unemployed in the county during the month. The year-ago rate was 9.0 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 jobless rate dipped slightly in Florida in January. In dropping from 7.9 percent in December to 7.8 percent in January, Florida’s jobless rate went below the national rate, which was 7.9 percent in January, for the first time since January of 2008.

“We are glad to see our unemployment rate fall below the national average for the first time in years, but our work isn’t done until every Floridian who wants a job can find one,” Gov. Rick Scott said.

In dropping to 7.8 percent, Florida’s jobless rate is now at its lowest point since November of 2008, near the beginning of the recession, and down from over 9 percent just a year ago.

And rather than simply improving the rate by losing workers from the workforce – as was the case with some earlier gains – Florida’s economy created jobs in January, the Department of Economic Opportunity said.

Alabama’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, at 6.9 percent in January, was up from December’s rate of 6.8 percent and was below the year-ago rate of 7.3 percent.

Comments

4 Responses to “Florida Unemployment Dips; Steady To Increasing Rate Locally”

  1. David Huie Green on March 21st, 2013 7:51 pm

    “They should count have many people have given up the job search completely”

    Why?

    People who do not want jobs are not unemployed, they just aren’t working. To be unemployed, you have to want to be employed and not be employed. People find and lose jobs every day and others just proclaim, “There just aren’t any jobs out there.” Sometimes there aren’t any jobs paying what they are willing to work for, which they are able to do and where they are willing to work.

    Just think, if a man were illiterate, ignorant, untrustworthy and obnoxious but wanted a job judging beauty contestants for ten million dollars per week, he would be unemployed.

    David for good jobs and good workers

  2. David Huie Green on March 20th, 2013 11:39 pm

    CONSIDERING:
    “Its amazing how when you cut unemployment the numbers drop! ”

    Don’t see why it would be amazing if you cut unemployment, one would expect the unemployment number to drop. If you cut unemployment to zero, you would expect zero unemployment.

    I think this is known as the identity property of math, A = A, a thing is what it is.

    David for amazing reality

  3. Jane on March 19th, 2013 3:57 am

    Escambia County has always had high unemployment. Time to get off the tourism bandwagon and onto the business bandwagon, County Commissioners!

  4. well on March 19th, 2013 12:45 am

    Its amazing how when you cut unemployment the numbers drop! They should count have many people have given up the job search completely

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News