Sunshine Sentinel

The state of Florida’s unemployment rate ticked up to 5.1% in July, with the Department of Economic Opportunity estimating that 530,000 people across the state remain out of work.

With a normal workforce in the neighborhood of nearly 11 million, state officials particularly pointed to ongoing issues for employers in attracting workers in such industries as health care, retail and food-services, which are widely seen as being below the skill and pay levels of many, WUSF Public Radio reported.

“I don't think there's a standout industry that's impacted,” Chief Economist Adrienne Johnstonof the department told WUSF Public Radio. “I think a lot of employers are feeling the impacts. Again, it just takes a little bit of time. If you think back to the last recession that we had, it took years for people to get connected back into the labor force. And this is already happening at a much faster rate.”

Overall, the number of residents qualifying as being out of work in July rose by 6,000, while the workforce was up by 83,000, WUSF Public Radio reported. In July 2020, with the state struggling to reopen the economy following a litany of COVID-19 related restrictions, the state’s unemployment rate stood at 11.5%, with 1.167 million people out of work from a workforce of 10.1 million.

“When you look at June and July (this year), we actually saw a higher uptick of people joining the labor force,” Johnston said. “So, that’s probably an indication of positive impacts there. Things are continuing to increase. We are continuing to see people move back into the labor force. They are encouraged to find work, and it just takes a little bit of time for those connections to be made.”

Through it all, the state’s jobless rate remains below the national average of 5.4%. 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis seemed to see that reality coming earlier this month when he predicted “pretty good” July unemployment numbers, sparked by a strong showing in the private jobs sector, WSUF Public Radio reported.

“You are seeing a real boom in the state of Florida,” DeSantis said during an appearance in Panama City. 

“Even in August, when it's hotter, it's just been off the charts,” he said of the tourism industry. “People are doing very well. And we want to continue to keep that going.”

For the month of July, the sectors showing the greatest growth included leisure and hospitality jobs, WUSF Public Radio reported.

With businesses across the state still struggling to find workers as recently as in June, state officials moved to reinstate a work search rule, requiring individuals claiming unemployment benefits to apply for a minimum of five jobs a week, according to WUSF Public Radio.

In addition, DeSantis also ended the state’s participation in the federal pandemic unemployment compensation program, which gave $300 a week in added benefits to unemployed workers on top of the maximum $275 a week in state benefits.