Unemployment rate jumps in Holmes, Washington counties

Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is 11.9 percent in January 2010, up 0.2 percentage point from the December revised rate of 11.7 percent and up from 8.7 percent a year ago.  January’s rate equals the May 1975 rate, the highest in the recorded series.  Florida’s unemployment rate remained higher than the national average, which was 9.7 percent in January.  The January unemployment rate represents 1,100,000 jobless out of a labor force of 9,231,000.  Based on the Florida Economic Estimating Conference held February 5, 2010, the outlook for the Florida’s job market is expected to start improving in the second quarter of 2010. In January, Liberty County had the lowest unemployment rate in the state at 7.8 percent.  Liberty County was followed by Monroe, Leon and Alachua Counties.  Flagler County had the highest unemployment rate in the state for January, at 17.1 percent

                        January 2010                 Dec 2009                      January 2009

Calhoun               10.5                             9.8                                7.9

Holmes                 9.7                              8.9                                7.6

Jackson                9.0                              8.2                                6.9

Liberty                  7.5                              6.6                                5.5

Washington          12.3                           11.6                               9.7

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