Florida's unemployment rate increased slightly to 11.2 percent in October, while the Tampa Bay area's rate decreased slightly to 11.7 percent, according to figures released Friday.
Statewide, an estimated 1,027,000 people were unemployed in October, representing 11.2 percent of the state's labor force, according to data from the Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation.
That is up from the 11.1 percent revised unemployment rate for September and 6.9 percent in October 2008.
The Bay area is faring a bit worse than the state. Locally, an estimated 153,256 people were unemployed in October, or 11.7 of the area's labor force. That rate is down from the revised September jobless rate of 11.8 percent.
The Bay area, as defined by the agency, encompasses Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando counties.
Both the state and Bay area are hurting more than the country overall. The U.S. unemployment rate was 10.2 percent in October.
However, the pace of job losses in Florida has slowed, said Cynthia Lorenzo, director of the work force agency.
"The rate indicates that Florida's families and businesses are still facing challenges, while fewer job losses reveal slight improvement in the economic climate," Lorenzo said in a written announcement.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement
Advertisement