Florida's unemployment rate remained unchanged for the month of July, holding steady at 6.2 percent.
Unemployment in the Sunshine State is now the same as the national rate.
According to the latest report released Friday from the Department of Economic Opportunity, the state added 2,100 private-sector jobs in July. There were 597,000 jobless Floridians during the month, out of a workforce of over 9.6 million.
Floridas economy continues to improve as we implement policies that support a pro-growth business climate, said DEO Executive Director Jesse Panuccio. Job creators, responding to our low-tax, streamlined regulatory environment, added 2,100 more jobs to Floridas private sector in July.
The report found the state lost 1,600 jobs for the month of July, a decrease of less than 0.1 percent. A drop in government jobs mostly accounted for Julys job losses.
When it came to counties with the lowest unemployment rates in the state, Walton and Monroe counties had the states lowest rates at 3.9 percent each, followed by Okaloosa County, which had an unemployment rate of 4.9 percent.
The counties with the highest unemployment rate were Hendry County (12.5 percent) followed by Flagler and Hamilton counties, which had an unemployment rate of 9.3 percent each.
Gov. Rick Scott, who has largely focused his re-election campaign on job creation, seemed to believe the news was another step in the right direction for Floridians. Scott's 2014 job-focused strategy rings a familiar tune with Florida voters -- in 2010, the governor pledged to add 700,000 jobs above normal growth as part of his campaign pitch.
Scott primarily focused on the positive job creation, noting the state had added over 620,000 jobs since December 2010.
Every new job positively impacts a family, and todays announcement is more great news for Florida families looking to live the American dream in the Sunshine State," said Scott. Florida continues to see positive job growth highlighting our economic recovery, so lets keep working to make sure every Floridian who wants a job can get one.
