jobs

Forecasters think job growth accelerated last month after a slowdown in August and September, but millions of would-be workers are still on the sidelines, leaving the pace of the recovery in doubt.

In September, Florida's unemployment rate dropped .1%, making it 4.9% versus 5% in August. Florida's ranking as the 29th lowest state for unemployment by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics remains the same.

Thousands of people have dropped out of the job market even as the economy continues rebounding. From hotels to health care, companies are looking to hire.

The state Department of Economic Opportunity on Friday estimated the state’s seasonally adjusted jobless rate was down from 5.0 percent in August. The rate was down 2.3 percentage points from September 2020, when the state was completing its reopening after COVID-19 pandemic closings that began in March 2020.

The Labor Department says the U.S. added just 194,000 jobs last month, even lower than the lackluster showing in August. The unemployment rate fell to 4.8%.

The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday estimated 6,509 first-time unemployment claims were filed in Florida during the week that ended Oct. 2, down from a revised count of 7,713 for the week ending Sept. 25.

Workplaces with vaccine mandates are seeing vaccination rates of 90% or higher. A complex mix of factors, including job security, is driving most workers to get the shots.

The job market is strong in South Florida. Offices are reopening and COVID-19 vaccines are available. So what pandemic policies are companies putting in place?

Hiring slowed in August as a surge in new coronavirus infections weighed on the economic recovery. Employers added just 235,000 jobs last month, a sharp drop from June and July.

Average wages for nonmanagers at restaurants and bars hit $15 an hour in May, but many say no amount of pay would get them to return. They are leaving at the highest rate in decades.

The state’s unemployment rate now stands at 4.9% as some industries continue to report that people are slow to return to work.

Florida continues to see new unemployment claims roll in at pre-pandemic levels, even as leisure and tourism-related businesses maintain they are struggling to attract workers. The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday estimated 6,430 new claims were filed in Florida during the week that ended July 10, down from a revised count of 6,739 during the week that ended July 3.