Unemployment Rate In Highlands Hits 9 Percent

The employment rate continues to rise in Highlands County, according to the Agency for Workforce Innovation.

The percentage of unemployed in November was 9 percent; it was 8.8 percent in October.

In November 2007 the rate was 5.6 percent in Highlands.

Florida's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for November 2008 is 7.3 percent. This represents 680,000 jobless out of a labor force of 9,311,000.

The unemployment rate is 0.3 percentage point higher than the October rate of 7 percent and is up 2.9 percentage points from the November 2007 rate.Florida's November 2008 unemployment rate is the highest since June 1993, which was also 7.3 percent.The state's current unemployment rate is 0.6 percentage point higher than the national unemployment rate of 6.7 percent.

Florida's annual nonagricultural employment growth rate for November 2008 is -2.6 percent.The rate represents a loss of 206,900 jobs from November 2007, for a total employment level of 7,823,200. This is slower than the national rate for November which is -1.4 percent.The November 2008 job growth rate continues the trend of negative over-the-year growth that began in September 2007, primarily due to declines in construction.

"Obtaining additional federal funds to enhance employment services for Florida's jobseekers is one of the Agency's top priorities, and we continue to focus our efforts on communicating Florida's needs to our federal partners" said Monesia T. Brown, director of the Agency for Workforce Innovation."We are also achieving success in working with our economic development and workforce partners to create employment opportunities for Floridians."