First-time jobless claims in Florida remain close to the pace held since the start of the year, with the state set to update its unemployment figures on Friday.
The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday estimated 5,526 initial unemployment claims were filed last week in Florida, down from a revised count of 5,897 for the week ending May 6.
While businesses have started to express concern about labor quality, the weekly count is slightly off the weekly average over the past four weeks of 5,532. Since the start of the year, the weekly average stands at 5,712.
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Meanwhile, the national estimate fell by 22,000 from 262,000 first-time claims the week ending May 6 to 242,000 last week.
With a 4-week moving average of 244,250 initial claims a week, the national unemployment rate stands at 3.4 percent.
Americans receiving jobless benefits dipped to 1.799 million last week, down from 1.807 the prior week. Florida’s unemployment rate, reflecting mid-March conditions, is 2.6 percent, with an estimated 283,000 Floridians out of work from a workforce of 10.92 million people.
The state Department of Economic Opportunity — proposed to become the Commerce Department under a bill (HB 5) awaiting delivery to Gov. Ron DeSantis — will update those figures to mid-April conditions on Friday.
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