Palm Beach County's jobless rate ticks down; Florida sticks at 10.7 percent - Palm Beach Post
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Updated: 11:18 a.m. Friday, Sept. 16, 2011
Posted: 10:26 a.m. Friday, Sept. 16, 2011
The region's employment picture improved slightly in August, but job growth was modest and the statewide jobless rate remained stalled at 10.7 percent.
Palm Beach County's unemployment rate fell to 11 percent in August from 11.2 percent in July, the Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation said today.
Martin County's jobless rate dipped to 11.1 percent from 11.2 percent, while St. Lucie County unemployment fell to 13.7 percent from 13.8 percent. The county numbers are not seasonally adjusted.
The statewide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 10.7 percent, and Florida added 9,900 jobs for the month.
"An increase of nearly 10,000 jobs since last month is another positive indication that Florida's employers are gaining confidence, people are getting back to work, and our state is making progress under Gov. Scott's leadership," state labor director Cynthia R. Lorenzo said in a statement.
While 10,000 jobs are little comfort to most of the 1 million Floridians seeking work, Florida's job market did better than the nation's in August. U.S. employers added no new jobs last month.
Florida job seekers still face a difficult search. Terrance Jones of Boynton Beach has gone without a regular paycheck since losing his job in 2008.
Jones exhausted his unemployment benefits long ago, and he survives by doing handyman jobs. Jones keeps applying for positions, and he's studying for a bachelor's degree at the University of Phoenix.
"Right now, almost anything will do," said Jones, who last worked as a crane operator at the Port of Palm Beach. "It's been rough the last three years."
Construction remained the state's weakest industry, shrinking by 5 percent over the past year as building has ground to a near-halt.
Just how desperate are construction workers for a paycheck? Here's an indication: West Construction of Lake Worth is building several projects in Liberia, the war-torn nation in West Africa. Vice President Matthew West says he routinely gets calls from job seekers who wonder if he's hiring there.
"Right now, people are willing to go anywhere for a job," West said.
West Construction has sent a handful of Palm Beach County workers to Liberia.
jeff_ostrowski@pbpost.com
16 Sep, 2011--
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