Florida unemployment dips to 6.2 percent in June

State leads nation in job growth in June; N.E. Florida sees unmployment rise

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida added 37,000 jobs in June and led the nation in job growth.

While that was a sharp turnaround from the previous month, it only pushed down the state's seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate 0.1 percent to 6.2 percent, and Florida's jobless rate is above the nation's for the first time in more than a year.

The unemployment rate in northeast Florida, which is not seasonally-adjusted, rose from 5.8 percent in May to 6.1 percent in June. (See county-by-county results at bottom of this article)

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The good economic news is that the state led the nation in job growth according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Florida gained more than 37,000 jobs in June. That was a turnaround from the previous month when the state shed nearly 18,000 jobs.

"Florida experienced a record setting month for private-sector job creation in June with 36,900 new jobs over the month and a total of 620,700 private-sector jobs added since December 2010," said Gov. Rick Scott, who was elected three years ago on a campaign promise of creating 700,000 jobs in seven years.

Economists have said the state's economy is recovering, but slowly.

The latest figures show there are nearly 600,000 people out of work in the state.  Flagler County continues to have the second highest unemployment rate in the state, while St. Johns, Bradford and Alachua counties have among the state's 10 lowest jobless rates.

June 2014May 2014June 2013
Alachua County5.3%4.8%6.1%
Baker County5.6%5.2%7.3%
Bradford County5.2%5.1%6.0%
Clay County5.5%5.3%6.5%
Columbia County6.1%6.3%8.1%
Flagler County8.8%8.6%10.7%
Nassau County5.4%5.3%6.3%
Putnam County8.2%7.9%9.9%
St. Johns County  5.1%5.0%5.9%
Union County5.9%5.6%6.6%