First-time unemployment claims in Florida remain relatively flat and at a pre-pandemic pace, reflecting strong economic activity amid lingering inflation.
The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday issued a report that estimated 5,135 first-time claims were filed in Florida during the week that ended Aug. 27.
That was down from a revised count of 5,809 claims during the week that ended Aug. 20. Despite a brief uptick in January, Florida has been around 6,000 to 8,000 new claims a week for most of the past year.
The numbers are similar to the levels of claims filed before the COVID-19 pandemic crashed into the economy in early 2020 and caused massive job losses. But while the state's economy has rebounded, businesses still struggle to find qualified workers to meet demand from consumers, said Adrienne Johnston, chief economist at the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.
"We actually are seeing, right now, there are more people, more Floridians in our labor market," Johnston said in the Florida Chamber of Commerce's "Future of Work Florida" podcast posted Wednesday. "That means more people, talented workers, are out there actively seeking work. And we actually have seen that employers are reporting more payroll numbers than they had prior to the pandemic."
The Department of Economic Opportunity reported Florida's unemployment rate stood at 2.7% in July, matching the level before the pandemic. The department will issue an August report on Sept. 16.
The July rate, reflecting an estimated 283,000 Floridians out of work from a workforce of about 10.66 million, was down from 2.8% in June and 4.5% in July 2021. It also came amid signs, including a drop in gasoline prices, that inflation has slowed after hitting a 40-year high of 9.1% in June.
Over the past four weeks, the state has averaged 5,754 unemployment claims a week.
During an appearance Tuesday in Live Oak, Gov. Ron DeSantis touted Florida's economic climate, as the state had a lower unemployment rate than the national mark of 3.5% in July.
"People have gravitated here because they knew they could be free over the last couple years," DeSantis said. "I mean, you look at these people that would come from these lockdown jurisdictions just to visit Florida. They'd get off the plane. And they're like, 'Man, you know, this must be what it felt like to go from East Berlin to West Berlin.'"
While businesses try to decipher varying economic signs, Florida continues to experience higher-than-normal numbers of people leaving jobs for opportunities with better pay and benefits.
"I would also point out that while most employers are reporting that they're having struggles finding qualified talent, there are some concentrations in certain industries like leisure and hospitality," Johnston said. "So, it is widespread, but there are certain areas that are struggling more than others."
In August, state economists updated projections of general-revenue tax collections for the current 2022-23 fiscal year and the 2023-24 year by about $5.3 billion.
The increased projections, however, came with concerns about an economic "downshift" this fiscal year, which started July 1, and an anticipated slowdown in the housing market.
Jim Turner reports for the News Service of Florida.
NOT FOR REPRINT
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
You Might Like
View AllLatest Boutique Combination in Florida Continues Am Law 200 Merger Activity
3 minute readMiami-Dade Litigation Over $1.7 Million Brazilian Sugar Deal Faces Turning Point
3 minute readMeta agrees to pay $25 million to settle lawsuit from Trump after Jan. 6 suspension
4 minute readTrending Stories
- 1De-Mystifying the Ethics of the Attorney Transition Process, Part 2
- 2Being a Profession is Not Malarkey
- 3Bring NJ's 'Pretrial Opportunity Program' into the Open
- 4High-Speed Crash With Police Vehicle Nets $1.6 Million Settlement
- 5Embracing a ‘Stronger Together’ Mentality: Collaboration Best Practices for Attorneys
Who Got The Work
J. Brugh Lower of Gibbons has entered an appearance for industrial equipment supplier Devco Corporation in a pending trademark infringement lawsuit. The suit, accusing the defendant of selling knock-off Graco products, was filed Dec. 18 in New Jersey District Court by Rivkin Radler on behalf of Graco Inc. and Graco Minnesota. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi, is 3:24-cv-11294, Graco Inc. et al v. Devco Corporation.
Who Got The Work
Rebecca Maller-Stein and Kent A. Yalowitz of Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer have entered their appearances for Hanaco Venture Capital and its executives, Lior Prosor and David Frankel, in a pending securities lawsuit. The action, filed on Dec. 24 in New York Southern District Court by Zell, Aron & Co. on behalf of Goldeneye Advisors, accuses the defendants of negligently and fraudulently managing the plaintiff's $1 million investment. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick, is 1:24-cv-09918, Goldeneye Advisors, LLC v. Hanaco Venture Capital, Ltd. et al.
Who Got The Work
Attorneys from A&O Shearman has stepped in as defense counsel for Toronto-Dominion Bank and other defendants in a pending securities class action. The suit, filed Dec. 11 in New York Southern District Court by Bleichmar Fonti & Auld, accuses the defendants of concealing the bank's 'pervasive' deficiencies in regards to its compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act and the quality of its anti-money laundering controls. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, is 1:24-cv-09445, Gonzalez v. The Toronto-Dominion Bank et al.
Who Got The Work
Crown Castle International, a Pennsylvania company providing shared communications infrastructure, has turned to Luke D. Wolf of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani to fend off a pending breach-of-contract lawsuit. The court action, filed Nov. 25 in Michigan Eastern District Court by Hooper Hathaway PC on behalf of The Town Residences LLC, accuses Crown Castle of failing to transfer approximately $30,000 in utility payments from T-Mobile in breach of a roof-top lease and assignment agreement. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Susan K. Declercq, is 2:24-cv-13131, The Town Residences LLC v. T-Mobile US, Inc. et al.
Who Got The Work
Wilfred P. Coronato and Daniel M. Schwartz of McCarter & English have stepped in as defense counsel to Electrolux Home Products Inc. in a pending product liability lawsuit. The court action, filed Nov. 26 in New York Eastern District Court by Poulos Lopiccolo PC and Nagel Rice LLP on behalf of David Stern, alleges that the defendant's refrigerators’ drawers and shelving repeatedly break and fall apart within months after purchase. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Joan M. Azrack, is 2:24-cv-08204, Stern v. Electrolux Home Products, Inc.
Featured Firms
Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.
(470) 294-1674
Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone
(857) 444-6468
Smith & Hassler
(713) 739-1250