Florida’s unemployment rate ticks upward in October

Unchanged since late in the spring, Florida’s unemployment rate finally shifted in October, but in the wrong direction.

The state’s jobless rate rose from 4.7 to 4.8 percent last month, according to figures released by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity on Friday, though it remained well below the 5.1 percent from October 2015.

The rate had remained flat since dropping to 4.7 percent in May.

As the unemployment rate ticked up slightly, it coincided with slowing job growth. Florida added 5,700 jobs during October, well below the 23,000 from September. Still, the news wasn’t all bad: The state has added 253,300 jobs during the past year, an increase of 3.1 percent.

Manatee County’s October unemployment rate was 4.7 percent, the same as September, but down slightly from 4.8 percent a year earlier. The numbers were identical in Sarasota County. Nearby, Hillsborough County was at 4.6 percent, and Pinellas was at 4.4

The country’s unemployment rate was 4.9 percent in October.

This story was originally published November 18, 2016 at 11:07 AM with the headline "Florida’s unemployment rate ticks upward in October."