Florida unemployment

The unemployment rate dropped to 2.5% in December, down from 2.6% in November.

The November rate of 2.6% was down from 2.7% in October. An estimated 280,000 Floridians qualified as unemployed in November.

October's jobless rate was 2.7%, up from a historic low of 2.5% in September.

Between September 2021 and September 2022, Florida’s labor force grew by 316,000, or 3%.

That's down from 3.2% in March. Gov. DeSantis said Florida picked up about 57,000 private-sector jobs last month.

Money for the program came from $1.4 billion allocated to Florida by the U.S. Department of the Treasury last year.

He warned that the Biden administration "plunges this country into a recession."

The report shows many people are leaving their jobs – confident they’ll find work somewhere else.

Workers are shifting away from gigs at hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues for higher-paying jobs in manufacturing, warehousing and logistics.

The unemployment rate in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area was 2.9%, while the statewide number is down to 3.3%

The rate fell to 4.4%, meaning 466,000 Floridians now qualify as jobless. Gov. DeSantis says it shows economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

State law puts the number of weeks at 12 when unemployment is at or below 5 percent.