TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Florida’s unemployment rate is trickling downward, but it’s not clear yet what impact Hurricane Michael will have on the state’s jobless rate.
State officials announced Friday the unemployment rate was 3.5 percent in September. That’s lower than the national rate of 3.7 percent.
The latest estimates say there are about 358,000 unemployed people out of a workforce of more than 10.2 million.
Florida added 16,900 jobs in the last month.
Hurricane Michael slammed into Florida’s Panhandle nine days ago. The deadly storm left a trail of ruins across several counties and caused billions in damages.
Last year after Hurricane Irma the state lost more than 100,000 jobs.
Okaloosa County in northwest Florida had the lowest unemployment rate at 2.3 percent. Hendry County had the highest unemployment rate at 6.6 percent.
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