Florida created nearly 6,000 jobs for the month of October, but the unemployment rate went up, according to the latest numbers from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.
On Friday, state officials announced the unemployment rate in Florida had increased to 4.8 percent, a slight uptick from September’s unemployment rate of 4.7 percent.
The new jobs report found the state added 5,700 nonagricultural jobs during the month of October, bringing the grand total of jobs added in 2016 to a little over 253,000.
In terms of job creation, Florida’s job growth rate has grown 3.1 percent over the last year and has continued to exceed the national job growth rate for quite some time -- over four years -- since May 2012.
The industries gaining the highest number of jobs included education and health services, which added nearly 52,000 over the year. Other industries making the top job gains over the last year included leisure and hospitality; trade, transportation and utilities; construction; financial activities; and government.
The only industry in Florida to actually lose jobs was the information industry, which saw a drop of 2,400 jobs.
Gov. Rick Scott appeared in St. Augustine to make the announcement on Friday, saying the state was on the right track to build a strong workforce and to attract businesses to hire new employees.
“We will continue to cut taxes and reduce regulations so we can make Florida the top place in the world for families to get great jobs,” Scott said.
All of the state’s metro areas saw over-the-year job gains in October 2016.
Monroe County had the state’s lowest unemployment rate (3.3 percent), followed by St. Johns County (3.8 percent) and Lafayette County (4.1 percent).
Hendry County had the highest unemployment rate (9.7 percent) in Florida in October 2016, followed by Sumter County (7.1 percent) and Hardee and Highlands counties, which had unemployment rates of 6.9 percent each.
State officials kept a positive attitude about the future of Florida’s job climate.
“All across the nation, individuals and families know that Florida is a great place to find your dream job,” said Executive Director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Cissy Proctor. “Month after month, we continue to provide new opportunities for good jobs in Florida. We are excited that people are re-entering the labor force to pursue the next step in their careers.”
Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.
