Unemployment Rises to 12 Percent in Florida

Florida's unemployment outlook only got worse in November. The state's unemployment rate increased to 12 percent last month, up slightly from October's 11.9 percent rate, according to a report released Friday by the state Agency for Workforce Innovation.

The seasonally adjusted numbers show that 1.1 million Floridians, out of a labor force of 9.2 million, are out of work. The unemployment benefits that had briefly paused earlier this month when Congress failed to extend them, areset to continue now that Congress has passed a tax cut compromise bill that extended unemployment benefits for 13 months.

"The November unemployment rate reflects the challenges our state is facing as we slowly emerge from the national recession. Knowing that this is an uncertain time for many Florida families, our agency has been closely monitoring the discussion in Congress on an additional extension of federally funded unemployment benefits. With passage of the legislation last night, we are prepared to immediately begin processing payments as soon as the president signs the bill," said AWI Director Cynthia Lorenzo.