Manatee’s jobless rate jumps to 4.2% in March. Numbers don’t show how bad April could be
The latest batch of jobs numbers released Friday by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity showed a state in relatively good shape through March 31, with little indication of what was to come in April.
The report shows the beginning of trouble connected to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Manatee County’s unemployment at 4.2 percent, up from 3 percent in February and 3.1 percent a year earlier.
Statewide, Florida had an unemployment rate of 4.3 percent, up from 2.8 percent in February.
The worsening coronavirus pandemic shows a deteriorating jobs picture with the U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday reporting almost 181,300 Floridians filing for unemploymement assistance, bringing the total number of claims to 800,000.
In Manatee County, there were 2,745 claims filed for the week ending April 4, the most recent period for which local claims numbers are available.
CareerSource Suncoast received 1,653 calls in the Bradenton area Monday through Thursday of this week for assistance in finding employment.
“With many of the calls we receive, clients are very appreciative to have someone to speak with and talk about their struggles. So while people are in crisis, having someone to talk to has been a big help for many,” said Jen Zak, communications director for CareerSource Suncoast.
Earlier this week, the Herald reported that the Bradenton-Sarasota-North Port area could see 28 percent of its workforce — about 104,000 people — become unemployed during the coronavirus pandemic.
That is the projection of the MoneyGeek website, which is tracking coronavirus statistics around the country.
Filing for unemployment is done online at employflorida.com.
For help in finding a job, applicants may visit the CareerSource Suncoast website at https://careersourcesuncoast.com/employers/ and jobfocus.com, a service hosted by the Manatee Chamber of Commerce.
