Florida’s unemployment rate continued to drop to an eight-year low of 4.9 percent for the month of February. According to a press release from Gov. Rick Scott’s office, the Sunshine State’s unemployment rate plummeted from 10.7 percent in December 2010, shortly after Scott took office.
Florida also continued its private-sector job growth of 3.4 percent for February, continuing its 37th month above the national average for private-sector job growth.
The numbers are good news for Scott, who has made job creation a top priority during his time as governor.
Scott said Friday’s news, on top of recent tax cuts, were reasons Floridians could be proud of their state.
“We have cut taxes over 55 times since 2010, including more than $1 billion in taxes cut over the last two years, which has saved Floridians $5.5 billion,” he said in a statement. “This has resulted in our private sector adding more than one million jobs in only five years.”
The work, Scott said, is far from over, however.
“While these are incredible accomplishments for our state, we will continue to do all we can to support economic growth so Florida can be first in the nation for jobs,” he explained.
Several fields made gains during the month of February, with professional and business services leading the job-creation pack with 52,200 new jobs.
Leisure and hospitality came in second, creating 42,800 new jobs, while trade, transportation, and utilities added 41,500 new jobs. Education and health services added 39,300 new jobs.
Monroe County had the lowest unemployment rate statewide at 3.1 percent, followed by St. Johns County (3.5 percent) and Lafayette County (3.9 percent).
Large counties like Miami-Dade County had slightly higher unemployment rates than the statewide average. That county had an unemployment rate of 6 percent, while Orange County had an unemployment rate of 4.2 percent.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Hendry County had the highest unemployment rate at 7.9 percent, followed by Sumter County (6.8 percent) and Citrus County, which had an unemployment rate of 6.6 percent.
Officials from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity praised the governor for his efforts to get Floridians back to work.
“When Governor Scott took office, the unemployment rate was 10.7 percent. His efforts to improve Florida’s economy and spark private-sector growth have cut that unemployment rate more than in half, Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Executive Director Cissy Proctor said. “Today, more than one million Floridians are back to work in new jobs thanks to his unrelenting commitment to job creation in our state.”
Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.
