Florida jobless rate hits 11.5 percent [View All]

[DemocratSinceBirth]

Florida’s unemployment rate rose to 11.5 percent in November, up two-tenths of a point from October’s revised rate of 11.3 percent.

The rate represents about 1.05 million jobless out of a labor force of 9.2 million. The statewide average is at its highest rate since May 1975 and is about 1.5 percentage points higher than the national rate.

The statewide average has risen by 4.3 points since November 2008.

In Metro Orlando, November’s rate climbed to 11.8 percent, up three-tenths of a point from October.

Despite signs that the national recession is over — at least in a technical sense — employers remain hesitant to fill jobs they eliminated in the last two years or so. Florida, particularly hard hit by the downturn in home construction, is expected to recover more slowly than many states.

Analysts say the jobless rate will likely increase slowly through the early part of 2010.

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_local_blogonomics/2009/12/124.html

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