State unemployment rate climbs for 2 months straight

Florida’s general unemployment rate ticked up in February for the second month in a row, coming in at 3.6%, according to FloridaCommerce.

The state saw its first jobless rate increase in about half a year in January, when the rate moved to 3.5% from 3.4%.

“There were 398,000 jobless Floridians out of a labor force of 11,196,000. The U.S. seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.1 percent in February,” FloridaCommerce officials said in a news release.

Manufacturing employment showed notable growth reaching 432,000 jobs in the state, the highest level since 2002.

“When I became governor, we set a goal of increasing the number of manufacturing businesses and jobs in the state of Florida, and I’m happy to report we have succeeded beyond our wildest expectations,” said Gov. Ron DeSantis. “Since 2019, Florida has added almost 50,000 new manufacturing jobs, and over the same period of time, we’ve increased the number of manufacturing businesses in the Sunshine State by more than 30%.”

Florida’s unemployment rate is still lower than the national figure, which came in at 4.1% last month. It’s the 52nd month in a row that Florida’s jobless figure was lower than the rate across America.

Across Florida, Miami-Dade County had the lowest jobless figure in February, with a 2.6% unemployment rate. Miami-Dade was followed closely by Monroe County, coming in at 2.7%.

Those were the only major metropolitan areas in the state that saw a jobless figure below 3%.

Fort Lauderdale had a 3.5% unemployment figure. Orlando’s unemployment rate last month was 3.6%. West Palm Beach had a 3.7% unemployment rate last month.

Tampa and Jacksonville both recorded a 3.8% unemployment rate in February.

Pensacola’s jobless figure registered 4% in February. The Fort Myers-Cape Coral area’s unemployment rate also came in at 4%.

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