Florida's unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.6 percent from October to November, according to numbers released Friday by the state Department of Economic Opportunity. The state's jobless rate betters the national mark of 4.1 percent, which also remained unchanged in the month to month comparison.
The estimated unemployment rate, representing a 10-year low, indicates there were 369,000 Floridians out of work in November from a workforce of 10.1 million, numbers nearly identical to October.
Coming two months after Hurricane Irma hit Florida, the state estimated an increase of 6,200 construction jobs, while leisure and hospitality jobs grew by 1,800.
“We are seeing a lot of jobs in the construction industry. This is partly due to Hurricane Irma, and the long-term recovery that we are seeing all across the state right now," said Cissy Proctor, Executive Director of the Department of Economic Opportunity.
Monroe County, which includes the Florida Keys, showed some post-storm rebound under the employment figures.
Monroe lost its hold on the lowest employment rate in the state, but the November numbers show the county is inching its way back, with a 3.2 percent jobless mark.
After Irma, Monroe’s jobless rate had jumped to 3.6 percent.
However, two inland agriculture-dependent counties hit hard by Irma, Hendry and Hardee, continue to hold the state’s highest unemployment marks.
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