Rick Scott: Unemployment Rate Falls to 6.1 Percent

With two and a half weeks until the general election, Gov. Rick Scott announced on Friday that the state unemployment rate dropped to 6.1 percent in September from 6.3 percent in August. In September, 12,800 private-sectors jobs were added across the Sunshine State.

Todays announcement that Florida businesses have created nearly 13,000 private-sector jobs is great news for Florida families, Scott said. "Together since December 2010, Florida job creators have created 651,300 private-sector jobs. Floridas unemployment rate has also dropped from 6.3 to 6.1 percent, the lowest it has been since June 2008. Our policies are working in Florida, and more and more Floridians are able to get a job and support their family, and we will keep working until every Floridian who wants a job can get one.

Under Scotts watch, the unemployment rate dropped from 11.1 percent in December 2010, the last month former Gov. Charlie Crist was in office, to its current rate. Crist is the Democratic nominee challenging Scott in November.