According to a new report from the Florida Department of Economic Development, the state’s unemployment rate dipped to 4.8 percent in April, down from 4.9 percent in March. It’s also the lowest mark for the state in more than eight years. The April jobless rate represents an estimated 472,000 Floridians being out of work from a workforce of 9.8 million. Construction jobs grew by 4,400 from March to April, while the manufacturing sector saw an increase of 2,600 jobs over the same period. The report shows Florida at or below the national unemployment rate of 5 percent for the past four months.
Florida governor Rick Scott said Orlando led the state in job creation over the past year, with 49,600 new private-sector jobs. The state also estimates that 44,000 new jobs have been added in Tampa, 31,000 in Fort Lauderdale, and 22,000 in both Jacksonville and Miami, with Pensacola adding over 1,300 new jobs in the past year.
