As in the rest of the nation, job creation in Florida is close to a standstill, with just 9,900 jobs created in July, leaving almost 1 million Floridians out of work and the unemployment rate at 10.7 percent, where it was last month.
In Flagler County, 4,858 people were jobless in August, up from 4,817 the month before. The unemployment rate went up two decimal points, to 14.9 percent, ranking the county second-worst in the state behind Hendry’s 17.9 percent rate.
Fifty one of Florida’s 67 counties have a jobless rate higher than the nation’s, which stands at 9.1 percent.
In August, no industry experienced any significant job gains in the state except for professional and business services, which added 9,800 jobs, and retail trade, adding 6,400. Leisure and hospitality (that is, tourism) added 4,400.
Government again led the way with job losses, with a drop of 8,100 jobs, most of them in local government, strongly suggesting that government tightening at every level has contributed to slowdown instead of shortening it.
In 12 months, the state has had a net increase of just 46,100 jobs.
Cynthia Lorenzo, the state’s labor department chief, tried to put a bright face on today’s numbers, saying that “Florida’s employers are gaining confidence, people are getting back to work, and our state is making progress under Gov. Scott’s leadership.”
The numbers, however, contradict Lorenzo’s assessment.
The University of Florida’s consumer confidence index crashed in August to a near record low.
Florida’s labor force has shrunk by 29,000 over the past year, artificially enhancing the state’s employment rate. More people are dropping off the unemployment rolls altogether–not because they’re finding work, but because they have stopped looking for work, their unemployment benefits have run out, or they’ve become too discouraged to look. The state isn’t helping: lawmakers in the last session shortened the number of weeks an unemployed person is eligible for benefits, even though Florida is already among the stingiest states when it comes to actual benefits: the $275 a week maximum that an unemployed person may draw ranks the state among the bottom five in the nation.
Coupled with the state’s miserliness is the new requirement that the unemployed must go through eligibility interviews and increase the number of job applications they file every week to remain eligible for the benefits. Federally, the COBRA health insurance premiums subsidized by up to 65 percent by the government have also run out. The combined effect is a steady drop of people from the official unemployment rolls, which gives the impression of keeping the unemployment rate lower than it actually is. That’s also true on a national level.
Florida doesn’t calculate its under-employment: people who are working part time because their hours have been cut back or because they can;t find full-time work, though they need it. Nationally, if that figure were included in employment tallies, the rate of the unemployed or underemployed would rise to around 17 percent. It would likely be higher in Florida.
The full jobs report is below.
Mike says
WOW! Nice Job Rick Scott!
So many empty promises.
Robert says
I don’t understand how employment can be stalled.
I continuously hear that providing the richest people in America with tax breaks creates jobs.
Has anyone called John “Big Oil” Mica and asked him why he continues to support tax breaks for the richest in America?
I have called his office and of course didn’t get to speak to him but his aide said he would relay my message.
Yogi says
Businesses are flush with cash, but no demand for products because the public has maxed out it’s borrowing capacity and the congressional Democrats reformed banking rules to tighten credit restrictions. That said, the whackos that want to blame others who have no control of the Senate can foam at the mouth all the want to but the hot air will not create one job. Give tax breaks to everyone, drop the restrictions on business and get the government out of the way and let us go back to work. No one wants to work and create jobs for a tyrannical socialist that robs the workers to give to the dead beats. We want to be free to work and we want our government to protect what we work for so we can keep our wealth for ourselves and our families. That is what this country is about. Then when we have taken care of ourselves and our children we want to be free to give to whom we want to give to, not forced to. Until we see that. nothing will change.
Johnny Taxpayer says
@Robert, so if we raise taxes on the “rich”, that will create jobs?
palmcoaster says
I am with you Robert. Same findings about big old Mica. Now he proposes tolls in the Federal Highways”to fund improvements and maintenance” oh yes! Same old BS. Meanwhile he got us a $600,000 grant aka tax payers monies, to extend and widen a runway for the rich fly boys at the Flagler Airport. I though we have a recession Rep. John Mica?
Meanwhile teachers and public employees that serve us all, get pink slips because “no money”.
We had 10 years of bigger tax breaks for the wealthy and large corporations, that actually started with disastrous Reaganomics. The corporate giants that these Republicans want to disguise a “small businesses” in need of more tax breaks, and what we have here, realistically 20 million unemployed. Meanwhile the outsourcing of our jobs proceeds in our very faces. Want to puke then read next:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2009512/Now-theyre-sending-bridges-Made-China-bridge-headed-San-Francisco.html
http://www.manews.org/schlafly.html
Want to recoup our jobs stop the outsource and TAX IMPORTS, the wealthy and the large corporations.
William says
Welcome to the barren landscape of Corporacracy.
Outsource everything for maximized short-term profit.
Privatize governmental functions and services. More money for fewer and lower quality services, gotta keep the shareholders happy.
Capture government officials and regulatory agencies, then starve them into a position of impotence.
Keep the public divided with wedge issues, religion, and red herrings. Divide and conquer has proven an effective strategy for centuries, keeping the people occupied with drivel as the richfilth make off with EVERYONE’S money.
Use a compromised outlet to disseminate the information the richfilth want you to hear. Propaganda, talking points, outright lies and provable falsehoods, all’s fair in love and war. Get the people to vote against their own interests with slick ad campaigns and vicious mudslinging.
Glorify strife through fear, vilify compassion.
Militarize law enforcement and hire private security firms for your protection to deal with the inevitable awakening of the great unwashed.
Yup, we’ve sure come a long way, haven’t we?
palmcoaster says
Unemployment getting worst all over and in Flagler. Meanwhile County Commissioners with Holland and Peterson at the head, approve a 12% increase in our home taxes to fund charades like at a cost of $400,000 plus, for ED and looking for another Enterprise entity with a different name but same expenses and one rocket scientist at over 70,000 to 97,000 a year….that could be Rawls, if Coffey’s wishes would materialize to accommodate his buddy Rawls again.
http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/local/flagler/2011/09/17/flagler-county-considering-economic-development-job.html
Flagler tax payers monies wasted for ED and for sure to pay for the expensive blunders so far, they got until today. What do we pay these commissioners for? Why don’t they sit at the phones along with Carl Laundrie FC IT and start calling prospective employers to settle here instead?
What about recalling some of them county officials over the 12% increase in our home taxes?
http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0100-0199/0100/Sections/0100.361.html
Sherry Epley says
Right on Palm Coaster and William! Check out the Flagler Live story entitled Incomes at Their Worst Since 1996. . . also some good comments and personal experiences recorded there.
Layla says
Palmcoaster: How many businesses do we have here in FL that are “disguised as small businesses?”
And you want to blame all this on Rick Scott and the Republicans? How about the new jobs czar and CEO of GE, Jeff Imelt? Our new jobs czar is busy outsourcing his company to China.
Right after the federal government took over GE, all GMAC jobs were outsourced overseas to save money. Bill Clinton passed NAFTA, the begining of oursourcing.
Get real people. Quit playing politics, quit blaming, start paying attention. Only 10% here even bothered to vote.
We can pat each other on the back all day and point fingers, but that won’t feed our families. And low voter turnout guarantees more of the same.
palmcoaster says
Layla when it comes to your question about large corporate dudes funded by our hard earned taxes in Flagler County yes, there are several Palm Coast Data, Ginn, Centex, Town Center Developer, etc. etc.
I am also like you disgusted with Inmelt of GE and its outsourcing. Bad move from Obama appointment there. I firmly believe both’s parties have as sold cheap, to special interest being the GOP the worst.
Nafta is not our biggest problem and if you research will find out that is the treaty between Canada, Mexico and USA and is very positive as, I have posted here the links that prove that Canada is our #1 buyer of American made goods and …..yes Mexico is the #2 buyer of American made goods. Not Japan, China, India or Korea our mayor (forced on us) suppliers that took all our jobs are first in that list. So please stop attacking Nafta (cause a Democrat signed into effect) as is the only one real good deal that exempts not all but many import taxes between this 3 nations in order to energize commerce across our North and South border. Please see next get informed and all please stop bashing Nafta. What you need to bash is China and all we loose to Asia and also the foreign aid. If all deals were like Clinton’s Nafta, sure we will have plenty of jobs right here now.
http://www.globalization101.org/issue_sub/Trade_and_Globalization/introduction/U.S._Trade_Balance
Now who was here in 2001 in the White House that allowed enough lag regulations that promoted the shutting down and move overseas of 42,000 factories? Sure were not the Independent or Democrats.
http://www.businessinsider.com/deindustrialization-factory-closing-2010-9
Lyla is really pathetic that thru distorted media and due to lack of reality research, people gets hooked on believing lies that today are destroying our country. We all need to research in detail the distorting speeches and head lines and find the truth before becoming so masochistic gullible.
I am an “American goods only” exporter and know this reality well and how bad the greedy manipulation is destroying our industry one by one. They do it by driving a deeper wedge between conservatives and liberals, that easily take the bait. “Divide and conquer”, pathetic!
Layla says
Palmcoaster: Appointing Imelt was a bad move??? I’d say it was a lot more than a bad move. The Jobs Czar is the Chinese jobs czar. And he is paying no taxes on $5 BILLION in profit. Not attacking/bashing anybody. Totally fed up with them all.
Only attempting to point out there is enough blame to go around. Does not matter anymore. Nobody is fixing it. We have no leaders anymore, only those interested in lifetime careers in politics. Meanwhile, the rest of us are living out of our cars and are busy preparing for the next civil war. This is insane.
We have 25% of the nation’s homeless children here in Florida. Do you think anyone in Washington cares about that? How many Floridians even care about that?
The only way people will know if what they are being told is the truth is to stay involved and here we cannot even get them to vote????? How many even know the names of their elected officials?
dealingwithidiots1 says
just wait till the next big lay-off at PCD hits..the rate will hit the roof!
Diane says
I had worked at PCD for a long time and now I have been laid off for over a month now. Things don’t make sense why I was let go, I had to train someone else to do my job, I was told the person was for back up only, then they let me go, does this make sense? Not to me and many others. The person who took my place makes more money than I did, does this make sense to you, not to me or anyone else. PCD is making wrong decisions and people are being let go, shame on them.
PC Dad says
Think the next round of pink slips should start with Rick Scott. You promised more jobs and less taxes and have delivered neither. Goodbye, have a nice day. Anyone else would be better than this schmuck.