- September 16, 2026
The pace of first-time jobless claims in Florida eased for a third consecutive week, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
The agency estimated 5,033 initial unemployment applications were filed in Florida last week, down from 5,680 the week ending Aug 15 and 5,797 the week ending Aug. 8.
A rolling average for the state over the past four weeks is 5,515, down from 5,758 a week earlier.
Last Friday, the state lowered its unemployment rate for the second consecutive month. The figure had been on a slow rise for more than a year.
The July unemployment rate of 4.6 percent represents an estimated 515,000 Floridians qualified as out-of-work from a labor force of 11.1 million.
The state Department of Commerce pointed to job gains over the past year in education and health services, followed by leisure and hospitality, and construction, while drops were posted in work involving financial activities, which includes areas from finance and insurance to real estate.
