Florida's jobless rate remains steady in June

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The state's jobless rate was 4.7 percent in June -- the same rate as it was in May, according to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. That's lower than the national jobless rate of 4.9 percent.

Florida added 9,800 jobs in June. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics listed 10 other states that added more jobs.

State figures show that the Jacksonville metropolitan area's jobless rate increased from May, but matched the state average, and nearly 22,000 jobs were created in northeast Florida over the past year.

The industries with the largest job growth over the year in the Jacksonville area were trade, transportation and utilities with 5,200 new jobs; education and health services with 4,500 new jobs; and leisure and hospitality with 4,300 new jobs.

Gov. Rick Scott announced the jobless numbers during a stop at Port Tampa Bay, where port officials announced the commission of cranes designed to help the port handle larger boats now moving through the Panama Canal.

In his statement, Scott emphasized the total number of private sector jobs added since January, not since the June slowdown.

Monroe County, home to Key West, had the state's lowest unemployment rate at 3.1 percent.  St. Johns County's 3.7 percent was the third lowest rate in the state. Hendry County had the highest at 10 percent.

  June 2016    May 2016     June 2015   
Alachua County  4.7% 3.8% 5.0%
Baker County 4.8% 4.3% 5.3%
Bradford County  4.4% 3.8% 4.9%
Clay County 4.5% 3.9% 5.1%
Columbia County  4.9% 4.4% 5.6%
Duval County 5.0% 4.4% 6.0%
Flagler County 5.4% 4.9% 6.3%
Nassau County 4.5% 4.0% 5.2%
Putnam County 5.9% 4.0% 7.5%
St. Johns County       3.7% 3.2% 4.0%
Union County 4.9% 4.1% 5.0%