On Friday. Gov. Rick Scott announced that the unemployment rate in Florida stayed at 3.8 percent in June, below the national average of 4 percent.
Scott noted that there were 16,900 new private sector jobs created in June. When Scott took over as governor at the start of 2011, the unemployment rate in Florida stood at 10.8 percent.
“As Florida’s economy continues to create thousands of jobs every month, we proudly serve as a model for the nation on how to build business and secure continued economic growth and success,” Scott said. “Our playbook of cutting taxes and eliminating thousands of burdensome regulations has created real momentum in Florida, allowing us to make historic Investments in things families care about – like education, safe neighborhoods and our environment. As our economy keeps booming and bringing thousands of families to Florida, the entire country is taking note.”
Cissy Proctor, the executive director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, also weighed in on Friday.
“The addition of nearly 17,000 new jobs and Florida’s continuous low unemployment rate is a testament to the strength of our economy,” Proctor said. “Private sector businesses have confidence in Governor Scott’s leadership and the business-friendly environment he has built. They are investing in our state and creating new jobs for hardworking Floridians every month.”
In the past year, Florida has seen the creation of 172,600 new jobs. The leisure and hospitality sector has led the state in job growth with 41,700 new jobs followed by construction with 33,100 new jobs and professional and business services with 22,800 new jobs.
Okaloosa and St. Johns Counties had lowest unemployment rate in Florida with each seeing 3.1 percent unemployment followed by Monroe and Walton counties at 3.2 percent. Hendry County had the highest unemployment rate in Florida at 7 percent followed by Sumter County at 5.7 percent and Citrus County at 5.6 percent.
