Jobless Claims Hold Steady in Florida - Tallahassee Reports

The pace of first-time jobless claims in Florida dipped slightly over the past two weeks. The U.S. Department of Labor estimated 4,956 initial unemployment applications were filed in Florida last week, down from a revised count of 5,041 the week ending Oct. 17. Since the start of August, Florida has steadily averaged fewer than 5,400 new claims a week. Florida’s jobless rate for September was 4.4 percent, or about 489,000 out of work from a labor force of 11.1 million. The jobless number has grown by 28,000 over the year while the workforce is up 21,000 in the same time. The National Federation of Independent Business has reported small business owners have become “more cautious” about planning for the future.