BY DAN HILDEBRAN
Telegraph Staff Writer
STARKE— The unemployment rates in Bradford, Union, and Clay counties increased by around one-half percentage point in May.
All three counties tallied unemployment rates of 2.2% in April. Bradford’s rate increased to 2.7% in May, Union’s rate rose to 2.8% in May, while Clay County’s percentage increased to 2.6%.
Florida’s Department of Economic Opportunity said the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the state was 2.6% in May 2023, unchanged from the April 2023 rate and down 0.3 percentage points from a year ago.
“There were 287,000 jobless Floridians out of a labor force of 10,998,000,” the state agency said. “The U.S. unemployment rate was 3.7 percent in May.”
Monroe County had the state’s lowest unemployment rate at 1.7%, followed by Miami-Dade at 2.2% and Okaloosa and Gulf counties at 2.3% each.
Hendry County had the highest unemployment rate of 4.1 percent, followed by Highlands: 4.0%, Citrus: 3.9%, and Hamilton, Putnam, and Sumter counties: 3.7% each.
The increases in local unemployment rates were driven by increases in the workforce rather than job losses. Bradford County lost 17 jobs in May, but its workforce increased by 27 people. Union County lost one job while its workforce grew by 28, and Clay County lost five jobs while its workforce grew by 876.
Statewide, the most significant job losses came in state government educational services, losing 8,100 positions.
The healthcare sector experienced the most significant employment increase, with 10,600 new jobs in Florida during May.
