Flagler County Unemployment Rate Drops to 15.4%
Still the highest in Florida
Palm Coast, FL – May 21, 2010 – Florida’s Agency for Workforce Innovation today reported April unemployment figures for the state. Flagler County’s unemployment dropped from 16.6% in March 2010 to 15.4%. In spite of the drop, Flagler maintains its position of having the highest unemployment rate in the state. The 10 Florida counties with the highest unemployment rates are:
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Flagler – 15.4%
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Hernando – 14.3%
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St. Lucie – 13.7%
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Hendry – 13.3%
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Indian River – 13.1%
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Pasco – 13.0%
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Citrus – 12.9%
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Putnam – 12.8%
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Lee – 12.7%
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Levy – 12.6%
Florida’s unemployment rate dropped from 12.3% to 12.0%
TALLAHASSEE – Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for April 2010 is 12.0 percent. This represents 1,113,000 jobless out of a labor force of 9,282,000. The unemployment rate is down 0.3 percentage point from the March revised rate of 12.3 percent. This was the first monthly decline in the state’s unemployment rate since February 2006.
Florida’s total nonagricultural employment in April 2010 is 7,196,600, representing a gain of 15,500 jobs (+0.2 percent) over the month but a loss of 117,900 jobs, or -1.6 percent, compared to April 2009. Florida’s rate of job decline is steeper than the national rate of decline for April, which is -1.0 percent over the year. Florida’s annual rate of job loss has continued to moderate with the steepest rate of decline at -6.9 percent in March 2009 compared to the current -1.6 percent.
Consumer and Employer Confidence
Floridians’ consumer confidence index is also showing gains, with a six-point increase from 71 in March to 77 in April out of an index of 100, as reported by the University of Florida’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research. The largest increase was in Floridians’ perceptions of whether it is a good time to purchase big-ticket consumer items, which rose 14 points to 87. Consumers have a positive outlook on short- and long-term economic conditions as well. Expectations of national economic conditions over the year rose 10 points to 80.
More Jobs
National statistics show an increase of 290,000 jobs in the U.S. in April, the biggest monthly total in four years. While the national unemployment rate rose from 9.7 percent to 9.9 percent, economists say the increase is typical as discouraged job seekers who had stopped looking for work begin to re-enter the market. Nationally, 805,000 people without jobs entered the labor force in April to search for work.
“While we recognize that it will take time to emerge from this recession, this decrease in the unemployment rate for the first time in four years coupled with a significant increase in jobs nationally and growth here in Florida are very positive signs,” said Agency for Workforce Innovation Director Cynthia R. Lorenzo. “As our economy begins to rebound under the leadership of Governor Crist, we are continuing to use a wide variety of innovative approaches to support and strengthen Florida’s families, workforce and businesses."
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