Area Job Numbers Improve In Escambia And Santa Rosa Counties

September 21, 2013

The latest job numbers released Friday showed a declining unemployment level in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties in Florida, while the news was not as good in Escambia County, Ala.

Escambia County’s unemployment dropped to 6.7 percent in August, down from7.1 percent in July. There were 639 fewer  people reported unemployed  during the period. One year ago, unemployment in Escambia County was 8.4 percent.

Santa Rosa County unemployment  fell from 6.8 percent in July to 6.2 percent in August. Santa Rosa County had a total of 4,656  persons still unemployed. The year-ago unemployment rate in Santa Rosa County was 7.8 percent.

In Escambia County, Alabama, unemployment increased from 7.7 percent in July to 8.2 percent in August. That represented 1,198  people unemployed in the county during the month.

Florida’s jobless rate dropped slightly in August after three months standing pat, even though the overall number of Floridians with jobs has decreased.

The August 7.0 percent unemployment mark, announced Friday by the state Department of Economic Opportunity, is down from 7.1 percent in July and represents the lowest rate since Florida was at 7.0 percent in September 2008.

Politicians wasted little time putting their spin on the figures.

Gov. Rick Scott credited his tax and regulation-reduction policies for the latest unemployment rate, which represents 656,000 jobless from a current statewide workforce of 9.4 million.  “This is evidence that our pro-growth and business friendly policies are working,” Scott said in a prepared statement.

Florida Democrats questioned the praise Scott and other Republicans heaped on the latest numbers, noting that in August there were 4,700 fewer workers than in July.

“No matter how the governor and his GOP allies try to spin this, the reality is that Florida’s economy is stuck in neutral thanks to Rick Scott,” Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Allison Tant said in a release.

Republican Party of Florida Chairman Lenny Curry criticized Tant for ignoring “all the facts” and said that in terms of job creation and lowering unemployment Scott has “outperformed the rest of the nation.”

Alabama’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, at 6.3 percent in August, was up from July’s rate of 6.2 percent, but below the year-ago rate of 7.5 percent.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News