BRADENTON — Unemployment in Manatee County, after a minor drop in numbers in April, found itself headed up again in May to 11.1 percent.
After April’s rate decreased to 10.8 percent, Manatee County’s unemployment rate for May moved back to the same rate as March’s in data released Friday. Florida’s unemployment also increased, surging to 10.2 percent in May from 9.7 in April.
“Last month we stabilized but, as always during a recession, you get mixed signals,” said Rebecca Rust, chief economist for the Agency for Workforce Innovation. “You’re going to see the data fluctuate. We’re in that period now and we’re hoping by the second quarter of 2010 we’ll see some improvements.”
The leisure and hospitality industry played a big part in the spike as it lost the highest number of jobs — 25,100 — from April to May.
And a majority of the jobs lost from leisure and hospitality were from the food services industry, which lost 14,700 positions.
Mike Shannon, manager of the Beach House in Bradenton Beach, said peak seasons for tourism usually requires the restaurant to boost its staff.
“Our staff builds up to 150 for peak, and can drop down to 115,” Shannon said. “We’ll build up our employee levels to accommodate our needs during season and we’re coming off our numbers slowly but surely.”
But the food industry has brought some jobs to the area recently. On Friday, a hiring sign at Arby’s on Manatee Avenue West attracted a line of job applicants. Job seekers also lined up at Five Guys Burgers and Fries on Manatee Avenue West before it opened in February and hired about 40 people.
And, earlier this month, Bogey’s Restaurant and Sports Pub held a grand opening at the new establishment on State Road 70 East.
John Horne, general manager of Anna Maria Oyster Bar, said business in March and April increased by 5 percent over the same period as last year.
“We’re very pleased,” Horne said. “We’re staying very steady with our volume. We slow down a little bit in summer.”
But at the Lantern restaurant on U.S 301 in Bradenton, owner David Lai said he and his family will skip the one-month vacation they generally take in the summer because his business is suffering.
“It’s pretty bad,” Lai said. “It seems like compared to other years, business has dropped 30 to 35 percent.”
It looks as though unemployment may only get worse in the state.
The Agency for Workforce Innovation’s conducted an economic forecast for labor statistics in March.
The forecast reported Florida’s unemployment rate would peak at 10.2 percent, but that peak wasn’t expected to happen until the first quarter of 2010.
“We have reached the forecast peak several months earlier,” Rust said. Next month, a new economic forecast will be conducted for the state.
“We will have to see then what the most current forecast will be,” Rust said. “It’s likely to be higher than what the current forecast shows.”
The food industry meanwhile has shrunk considerably since May 2008, when it had 615,600 jobs compared to the 585,700 jobs it has now.
Layoff notices recorded with the state showing major job cuts from food service companies across Florida this year: Aramark will lay off 894 by the end of June, Albertson’s will cut 78 positions by August in addition to the 381 workers it has already released this year, Food World laid off 347 in May, and Bruno’s Supermarkets is cutting 82.
At Bridge Tender Inn in Bradenton Beach, owner Sue Shinka said the off-season results in fewer hours for her staff. After the spring, the business no longer needs the additional four employees it typically hires.
Shinka, however, said those temporary employees are seasonal residents or employed at another restaurant.
For permanent staff members, Shinka said servers lose about 10 hours and kitchen staff loses about five hours.
“We have had to cut back on how many servers we have on the floor,” Shinka said. “Unfortunately, we have a lot of people coming by looking for jobs and I don’t have any for them.”
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