Unemployment drops in Manatee, Sarasota counties

The economic outlook for those in the Manatee-Sarasota region increased dramatically last month.

The unemployment rate in both counties dropped significantly in March, to 3.9 percent in Manatee and 4.0 percent in Sarasota, according to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.

In February, those numbers stood at 4.4 and 4.5 percent, respectively. Both counties were at 4.4 percent in March 2016.

On Friday, Florida Gov. Rick Scott said the state added more than 60,000 jobs during the first quarter of 2017, helping the unemployment rate drop to 4.8 percent in March, as compared to 5.0 percent a month earlier.

Scott noted the Tampa region has added nearly 42,000 jobs during the past year, helping the area’s jobless rate fall to 4.1 percent. Scott’s office said Tampa Bay had 44,544 job openings, the highest number in the state.

“More opportunities are available for Floridians to provide for their families and live their dreams,” Scott said.

Approximately 483,000 Floridians are unemployed in a labor force of more than 10 million.

Hendry County had the state’s highest unemployment rate at 6.4 percent, while Monroe had the lowest at 2.8.

This story was originally published April 21, 2017 at 2:02 PM with the headline "Unemployment drops in Manatee, Sarasota counties."