Unemployment rates in Manatee County rose from 6.9 percent in July to 7.3 percent in August, the highest rate since officials began collecting comparable data in 1990.
Sarasota's rate jumped from 7 percent in July to 7.3 percent, also the highest rate on record since 1990, said Rebecca Rust, an economist for Tallahassee's Labor Market Statistics Center, Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation.
The rise in unemployment did not surprise those at the office of Jobs, Etc., one of the employment centers operated by the workforce board at 3526 Ninth St. W.
Robert Heinbach, 29, of Bradenton, a graphic and Web designer who was laid off from an Internet business a week ago, said he is not finding much in the way of job possibilities.
"A lot of people seem to be worried about the economic problems," he said. "A few have discontinued job openings because of the economy being what it is."
Heinbach said he has been looking online and in person for jobs. "I'm trying to get interviews, but it just doesn't seem to be happening so far."
Mark Cassanelli, 54, of Sarasota, a landscaper whose unemployment benefits are due to run out in a couple of weeks, has been job hunting since he was laid off at Thanksgiving last year.
"I thought it might get better, but it hasn't," he said. "It's gotten worse, it's hard to believe."
"The housing market has affected all subcontracting work. People aren't worried about landscaping their house - they're worried about keeping their house."
A project manager at Jobs, Etc., said she is seeing clients who are increasingly desperate.
"What we're seeing is customers coming in who are very frustrated because they don't know how they're going to pay the rent or mortgage. They're close to losing their home and they're trying to determine how they'll get their next meal for their family," said Beverly Stockton. "Many are getting unemployment, but it's just not enough to survive."
Among the hardest hit industries locally are natural resources, mining and construction. From August 2007 to August 2008, the sector lost 3,400 jobs, a drop of 13.7 percent, according to agency data for the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice metro area. Transportation, warehousing and utilities lost 300 jobs, an 8.3 percent drop, and professional and business services lost 5,600 or 8.1 percent.
An economist who compiles research for the Suncoast Workforce Board was surprised to hear the numbers.
"Wow. I think it means the nation is in deep trouble right now with respect to unemployment," said Richard Judy, an economist and chief executive officer of Workforce Associates, Inc., a consulting firm based in Indianapolis that does research for the local workforce board.
Because of the housing situation, Bradenton "is on the bleeding edge," he said.
"We have not yet seen the bottom, I'm sorry to have to say that. That being so, we have more pain to endure, I would expect to see noticeable improvement in 2010. I don't think 2009 is going be a good year."
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