Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in December 2011 was 9.9 percent, the lowest since April 2009 when the rate was 9.7 percent. This represented 913,000 jobless out of a labor force of 9,233,000. The state’s unemployment rate was down 0.1 percentage point from November 2011 and was 2.1 percentage points lower than the December 2010 rate of 12.0 percent. The U.S. unemployment rate was 8.5 percent in December. Florida’s unemployment rate has been higher than the nation since February 2008.
Florida’s seasonally adjusted total nonagricultural employment in December 2011 was 7,291,500, an increase of 7,300 jobs (+0.1 percent) from November 2011. The number of jobs in the state was up 113,900 over the year, an increase of 1.6 percent from December 2010. The over-the-year growth rate in December was the strongest since January 2007. Nationally, the number of jobs was up 1.3 percent over the year.
Escambia County’s unemployment rate, not seasonally adjusted, is 9.6 for December 2011, down from 10.8 for December 2010.
Who will take credit?
Pres. Barack Obama
Gov. Rick Scott
Pensacola Chamber of Commerce
or Mayor Ashton Hayward
My guess is all of the above.