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Florida's Unemployment Rate Highest Since '95

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By MICHAEL SASSO | The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 19, 2008

TAMPA - Florida's unemployment rate hit 6.5 percent last month, the highest in 13 years.

New state data released Friday show Florida's unemployment rate jumped to 6.5 percent in August from 6.2 percent in July. A year ago, Florida's jobless rate was 4.2 percent, according to the Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation.

The August unemployment rate was the highest since January 1995, when it also was 6.5 percent.

The state lost 99,100 nonagricultural jobs between August 2007 and last month, an employment growth rate of minus 1.2 percent. That lags the United States overall, which had a growth rate of minus 0.2 percent last month. The hard-hit construction industry led the way in Florida job losses, shedding 76,400 jobs over the last year.

Locally, the Tampa Bay area's jobless rate rose to 6.9 percent in August from 6.7 percent in July. A year ago, the Bay area's jobless rate was 4.5 percent. The Bay area lost 21,800 jobs over the year, or 1.7 percent of its total.

Reporter Michael Sasso can be reached at (813) 259-7865 or msasso@tampatrib.com.

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