Florida’s unemployment rate dipped to 4.1 percent in June, a 10-year low in the Sunshine State.
Gov. Rick Scott made the announcement in Las Vegas Friday morning.
Florida's unemployment rate is now slightly lower than the national unemployment rate, which was 4.4 percent last month.
On top of a falling unemployment rate, businesses in the Sunshine State created 18,000 private-sector jobs last month, helping boost the state’s private-sector job growth rate to 3.1 percent.
Florida’s private-sector job growth rate has exceeded the nation’s rate (1.7 percent) for 63 consecutive months.
Scott headed to Nevada this week to meet with representatives from Allegiant Air, which selected Florida as their location for a new East Coast Training Center last year.
Allegiant’s Orlando Sanford International Airport is the company’s largest base in the country. The airline is responsible for more than 15,000 jobs across the Sunshine State.
Gov. Scott pointed to slashing taxes and regulations as two key components to the state’s shrinking unemployment rate.
“Over the past six and a half years, we have tirelessly worked to cut more than $7 billion in taxes and reduce more than 5,000 burdensome regulations, which is helping job creators like Allegiant Air bring new opportunities to our state,” Scott said.
Scott also said a newly-created $85 million Florida Job Growth Grant Fund as one way Florida was on track to lead the nation in job growth. The economic incentive program aims to lure businesses to Florida under Scott’s watch.
Scott has full authority to approve programs to help targeted industries throughout the Sunshine State.
The professional and business services industry saw the most job gains during the month of June, adding nearly 48,000 jobs, followed by the leisure and hospitality industry and education and health services.
Monroe County boasted the state’s lowest unemployment rate at 2.8 percent, followed by St. Johns and Okaloosa Counties, which had unemployment rates of 3.3 and 3.4 percent, respectively.
Hendry County had the highest unemployment rate at 9.4 percent, followed by Hardee County (6.7 percent) and Citrus County (6 percent).
Executive Director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Cissy Proctor said the June unemployment report was a good sign for the Sunshine State.
“Florida’s unemployment rate has dropped below the nation’s and down to the lowest our state has seen in an entire decade,” Proctor said. “Thanks to our state’s pro-growth policies, Floridians have thrived and companies have become more confident. Together, we have made Florida the best place in the nation to live, work and play.”
Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.
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