Unemployment Rate In Highlands Is 9.2 Percent

TALLAHASSEE - The unemployment rate in Highlands County in January was 9.2 percent, according to the Agency for Workforce Innovation.

It has increased almost one percentage point higher than in December when the rate was 8.4. The rate has increased by more than 3.5 percentage points compared to January 2008 when it was 5.5.

Florida's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for January 2009 is 8.6 percent. This represents 800,000 jobless out of a labor force of 9,256,000. The unemployment rate is 1.0 percentage point higher than the revised December rate of 7.6 percent and is up 3.6 percentage points from the January 2008 rate. The state's current unemployment rate is 1.0 percentage point higher than the national unemployment rate of 7.6 percent.

Florida's January 2009 unemployment rate is the highest since September 1992, when the rate was 8.9 percent. Prior to 1992, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for Florida using the current methodology peaked at 9.7 percent in January, February and March of 1976. A different methodology was used to calculate unemployment rates prior to 1976; during that time, the rate reached a high of 11.9 percent in May 1975.

Floridians are encouraged to utilize Employ Florida Marketplace, the state's online labor exchange tool that provides employers, job seekers, students, training providers and workforce professionals with comprehensive and convenient workforce services at no cost. Employers can post job openings and job seekers can post resumes at www.employflorida.com. Employ Florida Marketplace currently lists nearly 130,000 job opportunities in Florida.

"Governor Crist has emphasized job creation and stimulating Florida's economy by developing budget priorities that focus on these principles and translate federal stimulus dollars into action," said Agency Interim Director Cynthia R. Lorenzo. "We are working diligently to ensure federal stimulus funds are distributed quickly to have significant impact on increasing benefits and enhancing our services to Floridians. We are also working diligently to ensure our state and business partners are posting job openings on the Employ Florida Marketplace Web site."