First-time unemployment claims in Florida dipped last week but were slightly above the average for the year.
The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday released a report that estimated 6,249 initial claims were filed in Florida last week, down from 6,921 during the week that ended June 10.
Florida has averaged 6,078 claims over the past four weeks. Since the start of the year the average is 5,794. On Friday, the state Department of Economic Opportunity said Florida had a 2.6 percent unemployment rate in May.
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That rate has been unchanged since the start of the year. In May, it represented an estimated 287,000 Floridians qualified as unemployed from a labor force of 10.998 million.
Meanwhile, the new Department of Labor report said estimated claims nationally held at 264,000 for a second consecutive week. The nation has averaged 255,750 claims over the past four weeks.
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