Good news for Pinellas County. The latest figures from the Agency for Workforce Innovation show a slight decline in the unemployment rate.
Statewide, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for October is 11.2 percent - up slightly from the revised September rate of 11.1 percent.
Pinellas County’s October unemployment, not seasonally adjusted, stands at 11.2 percent, down from 11.3 percent in September. However, the rate is still higher than the 11 percent reported in August, 11.1 percent in July, 10.4 percent in May and 10.1 percent in April.
In September, 51,404 people out of a workforce of 455,672 were unemployed. In October, the number of unemployed had dropped to 50,662 and the labor force had dwindled to 452,572.
For the metropolitan statistical area of Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, which includes the counties of Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas, October’s unemployment rate also was down slightly: 11.7 in October compared to 11.8 in September. The rate was 7.5 percent in October 2008.
Pinellas is ranked No. 33 for October. The county with the highest unemployment rate is Flagler at 16.1. Liberty County is ranked No. 67 with an unemployment rate of 5.4 percent.
Compared to October 2008, Pinellas County’s unemployment rate is up 3.9 percentage points. The state’s unemployment is 4.3 percentage points higher than the same time last year.
State officials report that Florida’s unemployment rate is 1 percent more than the national rate. October’s rate was the highest since June 1975 when it was also 11.2 percent. The last time it was higher was May 1975 when it was 11.9 percent, the report said.
“The October 2009 job loss continues the trend of annual declines that began in
August 2007,” the report said. “Florida’s rate of job decline has moderated over the last few months, moving from -5.4 percent in March 2009 to -4.4 percent in October 2009.”
Industries losing the most jobs are trade, transportation, and utilities; professional and business services; and construction. These three industries account for more than two-thirds of the job losses in the state. Healthcare has been Florida’s only growth sector for most of 2009.
“This rate indicates that Florida’s families and businesses are still facing challenges, while fewer job losses reveal slight improvement in the economic climate,” said Agency for Workforce Innovation Director Cynthia R. Lorenzo.
