Florida's Unemployment Rate Ticks Up To 4.8 Percent In October
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TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami) — New numbers released Friday revealed Florida's unemployment rate has ticked up.
In the report from the state Department of Economic Opportunity, nearly 473,000 Floridians were out of work in October.
The rate was up from 4.7 percent in September but was below the 5.1 percent rate in October 2015. It still falls lower than the national jobless rate of 4.9 percent.
The unemployment rate has hovered around the same place much of this year.
In a release, Gov. Rick Scott's office said the rate rose because people are returning to the labor force and are seeking jobs.
Florida added 5,700 jobs in October. That number trailed behind at least ten other states in the nation, including Alabama, California, Michigan and Wisconsin.
Gov. Rick Scott announced the jobs numbers during a visit to Ideal Aluminum, a manufacturer of gates, railings and fences, located in St. Augustine. Scott has made job growth his main focus as governor.
Monroe County had the lowest rate in the state at 3.3 percent, while St. Johns County was at 3.8 percent, according to the department. Hendry County had the highest rate at 9.7 percent, while Sumter County was at 7.1 percent.