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The statewide unemployment rate for Florida in October was 11.9%, the same as it was a month ago. But after accounting for seasonal factors, total non-agricultural employment increased by 35,700 jobs over the past 12 months.
That marks just the fourth time since July 2007 that the state has seen annual job growth.
The state's construction industry saw the largest reduction in workforce, with 13,800 jobs lost since October 2009, according to the Agency for Workforce Innovation. The public sector was also among those hardest hit, with 7,500 jobs lost over the year.
The numbers for the Gulf Coast are discouraging. Before seasonal adjustments, counties in the Business Review's coverage area lost 8,326 net jobs over the year, compared to the 9,000 jobs lost statewide (including agricultural).
Only Hillsborough and Pinellas counties bested the statewide unemployment rate last month — but only by a tenth of a percentage point, with 11.5% rates in each county. Lee and Pasco are facing the most difficult employment challenges, with unemployment rates of 12.9% and 12.7% respectively. Additional regional data are provided below.
As a nation, the U.S. gained 661,000 net jobs before seasonal adjustment. The official nationwide unemployment rate, which does adjust for seasons, is currently 9.6%.
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