Unemployment rises in July

In terms of unemployment, every county in the Business Review's coverage area — Charlotte, Collier, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, and Sarasota — is worse off now compared to a year ago and higher than the state average.

The statewide jobless rate stands at 11.5%, according to the Agency for Workforce Innovation. That's slightly higher than last month's 11.4% rate, but nearly a full percentage point above July 2009's number (10.8%).

The sustained struggles of the state's job markets are costing taxpayers. “In less than three weeks, we have paid more than $294 million to nearly 279,000 unemployed workers,” explained Cynthia Lorenzo, AWI director.