Ditchmen • NUCA of Florida Ditchmen • November 2017 | Page 12

Florida
Unemployment
Rate Drops to
3.8 Percent
Florida lost a whopping
127,400 jobs last month
as Hurricane Irma swept
through, according to state
figures released Friday,
reports Malena Carollo of The
Tampa Bay Times.
Despite the big dip, Florida’s
unemployment rate
continued its downward
tear in September to hit
3.8 percent -- the lowest
since April 2007. The
unemployment rate is based
on a household survey while
the calculation of jobs lost
or added is drawn from
employer data.
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That’s down from August’s 4
percent jobless rate, Florida
economic development
officials reported Friday.
The national rate, too, has
dipped just under a percent
from 4.4 percent in August to
4.2 percent in September.
Gov. Rick Scott said, “I
am proud that Florida’s
unemployment rate has
reached a more than 10-
year low of 3.8 percent.
However, Hurricane Irma
was the largest storm we
have seen, which affected
our entire state and led to
DITCHMEN • NOVEMBER 2017
the largest evacuation and
power restoration effort.
Obviously, our jobs numbers
were affected because of this.
Florida is a resilient state and
we are working around the
clock to rebuild and recover
from this unprecedented
storm. Florida’s economy
remains strong and more than
1.3 million private-sector jobs
have been created across our
state since December 2010.
We will continue to fight for
jobs every day.”
• • •