Local jobless rates see slight increase in 2013
Staff Report
December closed out 2012 with Lake County's lowest unemployment rate of the year, and the jobless numbers haven't changed much as 2013 gets going.
Although the unemployment rate of 8.3 percent in January was a slight increase over the 8.1 percent rate seen in December, it is a far cry from the 10.2 percent rate seen in January 2012, according to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.
The jobless rates in Lake County over the past four months have shown consistency: October -- 8.4 percent, November -- 8.4 percent, December -- 8.1 percent, and January -- 8.3 percent.
In Sumter County last month, the unemployment rate was 6.8 percent, also slightly higher than December's rate of 6.7 percent.
Statewide, January's unemployment rate of 7.8 percent was the lowest rate seen since November 2008 and fell below the national average for the first time since January 2008, Gov. Rick Scott said.
"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," he said Monday.
Florida has added 127,500 jobs in the past year, the third most of any state. The state has benefited from greater tourism as the U.S. economy has slowly recovered. That has led to more jobs at hotels, restaurants and retail stores.
In Lake, out of a labor force of 128,640 people, 117,975 had jobs in January and 10,665 did not. In Sumter, the labor force was 36,415, with 33,921 employed and 2,494 unemployed.
Hendry County had the highest unemployment rate (11.4 percent) in Florida in January 2013, followed by Flagler County (11 percent); Putnam County (10.9 percent); and Dixie and St. Lucie counties (10.1 percent each). There were six Florida counties with double-digit unemployment rates in January, up from four in December.
In January 2013, Monroe County (4.6 percent) had the state's lowest unemployment rate, followed by Walton County (5.6 percent); Alachua and Okaloosa counties (6.0 percent each); and St. Johns County (6.2 percent). Many of the counties with the lowest unemployment rates were those with relatively high proportions of government employment.
The industry gaining the most jobs was trade, transportation, and utilities; followed by leisure and hospitality; professional and business services; private education and health services; and -- surprisingly --construction, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity said.
Construction employment expanded in two-thirds of all states in January as the industry showed signs of emerging from a six-year slump, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data.
"These results show that contractors are finding work in more parts of the country than they have for many months," said Ken Simonson, the association's chief economist.
Friday, March 22, 2013 - www.dailycommercial.com/jobless