Gulf Coast loses 9,760 jobs

Florida's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in August was 11.7%, as more than one million people were without jobs last month. Gulf Coast counties are struggling with joblessness as well, with a combined 9,760 jobs lost over the year, according to the latest data from the Agency for Workforce Innovation.

The highest unemployment rates in the region are in Lee and Collier counties. Lee has 13.7% unemployment, while Collier faces a 13.6% rate.

Counties in the Tampa Bay region, meanwhile, saw the largest over-the-year increase in unemployment. Rates in Pinellas (12.1%), Pasco (13.3%), and Hillsborough (12.4%) counties increased 0.8, 0.9, and 1.1 percentage points respectively, compared to August 2009.