
Florida’s new unemployment claims are continuing to show positive trends after a bumpy Fall and a dramatic increase following two hurricanes that hit the state in September and October.
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) reports that Florida saw a drop in first-time jobless claims for the week ending Dec. 14. There were 5,760 new unemployment claims for the week, down from 6,299 for the week ending Dec. 7, a drop of 539 before seasonal adjustments.
December has seen new jobless numbers return to more normal levels. There was a huge decrease in new unemployment insurance benefits claims for the week ending Nov. 30, when Florida businesses were on a hiring streak while getting ready for the Thanksgiving rush of holiday shopping. The state saw the lowest claims for the year at 3,987.
But that was a dramatic and needed drop in jobless claims after October and November saw huge spikes. Hurricane Helene, which struck the Big Bend area on Sept. 26, saw jobless claims jump to more than 8,000 in the immediate week after that storm.
Hurricane Milton hit the state’s Gulf Coast on Oct. 9 before crossing the state and exiting into the Atlantic Ocean on Oct. 10. Jobless claims exceeded 10,000 in the immediate aftermath — the highest level all year — and did not dip below 8,000 again until November.
Claims in Florida have risen since the Thanksgiving week outlier dip, but the current numbers remain in line with numbers seen through most of the last several months.
The most recent jobless filings report in Florida corresponded with the trend on the national level. There were 251,527 new unemployment claims across the country for the week ending Dec. 14. That’s down by 57,932 initial claims from the week before, a drop of 18.7%.
Florida’s general unemployment figure has held steady even in the face of the natural disasters and the impact on jobless claims. The state’s unemployment level has remained at 3.3% since April according to FloridaCommerce. That figure remains lower than the national jobless figure of 4.1% and has been below the national rate for 48 months straight.