Miami-Dade unemployment rate in October was the lowest in Florida at 2.2%
TALLAHASSEE - Miami-Dade County had the state's lowest unemployment rate in October at 2.2%, much better than the 3.3% state figure and the 4.1% national average, according to data released Friday by the Florida Department of Commerce.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics considers a rate of 4-6% full employment.
Unemployment rates across Florida
Miami-Dade was at 2.1% in September and 1.7% in October 2023.
In other South Florida counties, Broward was at 3.3% (3.4% September, 3.1% last October), Palm Beach at 3.5% (3.6% September, 3.3% last October and Monroe at 2.2% (2.3% September, 2.1% last October).
Overall, Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metropolitan statistical area had the state's lowest regional unemployment rate at 2.9% in October. Monroe is its own statistical region.
Statewide, the jobless rate remained at 3.3% for a seventh consecutive month. The rate was up from 2.7% in March 2023 and it peaked at 8.7% in 1992.
The highest rate was in Florida was Citrus County at 5.6% followed by Hamilton at 5.1% and Sumter at 5.1%. The Villages, which straddles Sumter, Marion and Lake, had a 5.1% rate.
In metro markets, Tampa-St. Petersburg was at 3.8%, and Orlando and Jacksonville each at 3.5%.
The North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton area, which sustained heavy storm damage, was at 3.9%, up from 3.7% in September.
The statewide rate is seasonally adjusted, while the metro rates are not adjusted.
Employment down in private sector
Despite the jobless rate steadiness, Florida had a drop in private-sector employment in October in the wake of hurricanes Helene and Milton.
The state Department of Commerce estimated 369,000 Floridians qualified as out-of-work in October, up 1,000 from September, while private-sector employment fell by 38,200 jobs last month.
The labor force of 11.03 million people decreased by 9,000. Department of Commerce officials attributed the continued shrinking of the labor force -- down 31,000 over the past year -- to retirements among Baby Boomers and Gen Xers.
The state saw brief bumps in weekly unemployment claims after Helene made landfall in Taylor County in late September and Milton crashed into Sarasota County on Oct. 9.
The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday estimated 6,356 claims were filed in Florida during the week that ended Nov. 9, down from a revised count of 6,841 during the week that ended Nov. 2.
The jobless numbers are based on estimates from the middle of October.
Jimmy Heckman, the department's chief of workforce statistics and economic research, said in a conference call Friday that data collection for October occurred during the week Milton made landfall.
107,600 private-sector jobs added in year
Despite the drop in employment last month, the state had added 107,600 private sector jobs since October 2023. Heckman said private-sector job growth over the year-long period was up 1.2% slightly behind the national rate of 1.3%.
Few employment sectors posted job growth in October, though a category of education and health services added 3,400 positions.
Meanwhile, employment in the leisure and hospitality category was down 18,500 jobs, construction jobs fell by 5,400, and manufacturing was off 1,100 jobs. Other losses came in categories such as financial activities and professional and business services.
Compared with October 2023, employment in manufacturing and financial activities had slightly decreased, while categories of trade, transportation, and utilities, education and health services, construction and leisure and hospitality had increases.