PANAMA CITY — State and local unemployment rates didn’t change much last month, according to figures released Friday by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.
Bay County’s unemployment rate in October was 5.8 percent, a slight uptick from September’s 5.7 percent. Year-over-year, Bay County’s unemployment rate saw a 0.3 percent decline.
Overall, there were 6,341 unemployed county residents last month, with a total labor force of 89,596 and 84,440 employed residents. The labor force was larger in September, at 91,340, 86,111 of which held jobs in Bay County.
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However, the unemployment rate does not consider “discouraged job seekers,” or those who have stopped looking for work.
Kim Bodine, executive director of CareerSource Gulf Coast, outlined lingering caution among business owners who sweated out the recession, but said the area has managed to keep the unemployment rate below six percent for four out of the last six months.
“We’ve had some great news locally: The new contracts at Berg Pipe; the announcement of Edge Aerodynamix locating at the airport bringing more new jobs to the region; and the United Airlines announcement to add service here,” Bodine said. “We also had a record-breaking tourist season, which is a strong indication of an improving economy.”
Bodine said CareerSource Gulf Coast, which provides service to jobseekers in Bay, Gulf and Franklin County, will continue to pay close attention to the Franklin County area, where the labor force has been deeply impacted by fishery failure in Apalachicola Bay.
The state as a whole saw a slight decrease in unemployment, from 6.1 to 6 percent, the lowest rate reported since June 2008. DOE reports the state added 34,400 jobs over the month, and nearly 207,000 in the last year.
There were 578,000 jobless Floridians in October out of a labor force of 9.6 million.
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The report also included a list of industries gaining and losing the most jobs in the Bay County area year-over-year.
Industries that gained the most jobs include trade, transportation and utilities, which added 200 jobs over the year; and government, which increased by 100.
Industries losing jobs include leisure and hospitality, which lost 400 jobs and financial activities and other services, which lost 200 jobs each.