Drew Dixon
U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) figures show new unemployment claims went up significantly in the Sunshine State.
The DOL reported that for the week ending May 24, there were 6,969 first-time jobless filings in Florida. That’s an increase of 792 claims over the week ending May 17, when there were 6,177 claims. It’s the biggest increase in unemployment claims in months.
The latest report marks the highest number of new claims seen in any week in Florida this year.
The jump in Florida figures is in line with the national trend.
DOL officials noted an increase in initial unemployment claims across the country. There were 212,506 first-time claims last week, a jump of 10,742, or a 5.3% increase. DOL analysts were off on what they expected. Experts had projected a decrease in new claims nationally by 1,131, or a 0.6% drop.
In the year-over-year comparison, new claims increased significantly. The comparable week toward the end of May in 2024 saw 197,164 new jobless filings. Last week’s number is up by 15,342 in the yearly data.
The increase in new claims is mirroring a steadily increasing unemployment rate in Florida. The April jobless figure stood at 3.7%, according to FloridaCommerce, the state’s jobs and business development bureau. That rate is up from the 3.6% rate recorded in March.
The year started off with an uptick in the unemployment figure when January saw a 3.5% rate, up from December’s figure of 3.4%.
The year-over-year comparisons also show an increase in the unemployment rate. April 2024’s unemployment figure was 3.2%.
Still, the Sunshine State has a lower unemployment rate than the U.S. as a whole, which stands at 4.2%. Florida has had a lower unemployment rate than the country’s for 54 months in a row.
