Unemployment Rates Fall Statewide

[asonj23]

Unemployment rates fall locally, statewide

Unemployment rates in the Jacksonville area and across the state fell again in March. The unemployment rate was 4.2 percent in the Jacksonville metropolitan statistical area, down from 4.9 percent a year ago and 4.6 percent in February.

Statewide, the unemployment rate was 4.4 percent in March, down from 4.8 percent a year earlier and 4.6 percent in February. The state rate remained well below the national jobless average of 5.2 percent. The numbers were released Friday by the Agency for Workforce Innovation.

The unemployment rate in all five counties in the Jacksonville MSA -- Duval, St. Johns, Clay, Nassau and Baker -- also declined, with Duval's rate dropping to 4.5 percent from 5.2 percent a year earlier.

Statewide employment in March grew by 262,000 jobs over the year, or 3.5 percent, far outpacing the national growth rate of 1.6 percent during that time. Florida led all states in the number of new jobs created and had the fastest rate of annual job growth among the 10 most populous states, the Agency for Workforce Innovation stated.

[miamistreets]

Thats great !

Miami dropped from 5.7 to 4.8 in unemployment.And we're also leading South Florida in job growth.

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 20, 2005--The Beacon Council, Miami-Dade County's official economic development partnership, is pleased to announce that the unemployment rate for Miami-Dade County in March 2005 was 4.8 percent, down from 5.7 percent in March 2004.