Flagler County’s unemployment rate fell to 14.5 percent, the lowest level since March 2009, when it was 14.4 percent. Florida’s unemployment rate also fell for the third consecutive month, to 11.1 percent, signaling an improving trend that, somewhat belatedly, is beginning to follow improvements nationally. The U.S. unemployment rate is 8.8 percent.
Click On:
- The Full March 2011 Unemployment Report
- February: Flagler Unemployment Drops to 14.9%, Lowest Since May 2009; Florida Improves to 11.5%
- US: March Unemployment Falls to 8.8% as Improving Economy Adds 216,000 Jobs
- Flagler’s Quality of Health Ranks It 17th in the State; Smoking and Obesity a Problems
- Union-Busting Bill Narrowly Clears Hurdle and GOP Dissents Before Full Vote at Florida Legislature
- School Employees Facing Steep Increases in Health Insurance Costs, Further Eroding Pay
- For a Few Cents Less: Legislature Moving to Slow Required Minimum Wage Increases
Flagler County’s uneployment rate, however, remains the state’s highest, exceeding that of second-place Hernando County by 1.2 points. The best-performing counties are Monroe (6.6 percent) and Liberty (6.8 percent). Volusia County’s unemployment rate is improving. It’s now at 10.9 percent. St. Johns’ is among the state’s best, at 8.6 percent.
Job creation was not strong in Flagler: there was a net loss of 56 jobs between February and March, but the labor force shrank by four times that number, sending the overall unemployment rate down. In Florida, 1.03 million Floridians remain out of work, not counting those who have quit looking for work from being too discouraged. The state added a net 22,600 jobs over the month, with 7.2 million employed Floridians out of a population of 18 million. The state has added just 34,326 jobs since last March, a relatively slow pace compared to most of the rest of the nation, although more recent numbers suggest stronger economic activity.
Private education and health services added 20,100 jobs, in the past month, a 1.9 percent increase. Professional and business services added 12,900 jobs, trade, transportation, and utilities added 4,600 jobs. Construction, however, lost 14,700 jobs, a 4.2 percent decline; the information sector lost 4,200 jobs, a 3.1 percent decline. Financial activities lost 4,200 jobs, manufacturing, which has been gaining nationally, lost 1,300 jobs, and government, a perennial job loser for months, lost another 900 jobs.
Gov. Rick Scott was holding a 10 a.m. news conference this morning in conjunction with the release of the unemployment figures. The governor himself announced the numbers in an unusual move at the state’s labor department, whose official name is the “Agency for Workforce Innovation.”
lawabidingcitizen says
Job creation was not strong in Flagler: there was a net loss of 56 jobs between February and March, but the labor force shrank by four times that number …
If the labor force shrank, there could be any number of reasons. 1. Those who were looking for jobs left the county for greener pastures. 2. Those who were looking for jobs settled into the unemployed life style. 3. Those looking for jobs are collecting unemployment and working at odd jobs under-the-table.
The fact that 28% of dwelling units in Flagler County are vacant, makes option #1 the most likely answer.
DLF says
Wow! Scott has been in office for a short period and we see some positive results, what a guy, what a job he is doing. Keep it up Mr Scott we all are behind you. No matter what the others say we must blame someone for the good as well as the bad…you are the man!!!!
NortonSmitty says
I’m thinking the people that had their homes foreclosed on hitched rides on the moving trucks heading North
The Truth says
DLF: You must be sarcastic right?
Do you really think these changes are due to what this joker has done in the short time he’s been in office?
Monica Campana says
About time those stimulus $ started flowing out of those bulging corporate coffers.
DLF says
The Truth says: yes a little fun. Now I must ask you do you think all the problems are because of Scott? As you said ” in the short time he’s been in office”
Tom Brown says
Recovery = double-digit unemployment, the new normal. Pathetic.
Kyle Russell says
I don’t think anyone’s blaming our current problems on Scott. The coming problems, however…
The Truth says
DLF: I never feel that the blame should be on one person and one person only (including our President). I feel that we, as American’s, are used to pointing the finger at someone else whenever something happens.
The state of our economy is all of our faults, in my opinion. The housing crisis is due to OUR greediness and always wanting more, more, more. I know the housing market is not the only thing wrong in our country, but I do believe that most of our problems revolve around it. When we were buying homes back in 2004-2007, many people bought OUT OF THEIR LEAGUE and figured, well the value of this house is only going to go up so why not. They also took out second mortgages thinking they wouldn’t have to pay them back because they would just pay them off when they sold their house 2-3 years later for 30-50% more.
We as a nation have failed ourselves. We can only blame our government (past and present) so many times before we have to realize that these problems are the result of our greediness.
The same lies with our state. Our unemployment will slowly start to get better, but it’s going to take time. Many wanted things to magically get better the second Obama took office. When our economy didn’t turn around in 2 months, everyone blamed him for the “mess” we were in.
It’s time for us as a nation to realize that WE are responsible for our selves, not our government. You are the ones who signed off on your house, you are the ones who agreed to terms on that house (whatever those terms are) and you are the ones who are responsible, plain and simple.