Daytona Beach, FL – The local unemployment rate is sliding down again a month after it went up for the first time in nearly a year.
The latest report from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity shows Volusia’s unemployment rate at 5.8% for June 2015. That’s 1/5th of a point below May’s 6% and 4/5ths of a point under the 6.8% posted for June 2014.
Volusia’s current unemployment rate is in the middle of the pack for Florida counties, tied for 31st with Jackson, Charlotte and Osceola.
As for Flagler, its unemployment rate for last month was 6.3%, tied for 18th highest in the state with Calhoun, Madison, Okeechobee and Polk.
Flagler’s current unemployment rate is 3/10ths of a point better than the 6.6% posted for May 2015 and over a point better than the 7.6% posted for June 2014.
The unemployment rate for both counties remain behind the state and the nation for last month, both at 5.5%. Florida’s rate fell 3/10ths of a point from last month, while the rate for the United States dropped 1/5th of a point.
Both the Sunshine State and the USA’s current unemployment rates are nearly a point better than where it was a year ago. That was at 6.4% and 6.3%, respectively.
Florida’s unemployment rate is the lowest it’s been in about 7 years, but only about 7,000 new jobs were added state-wide, which is well below average.
The Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach metro area – which also includes Palm Coast – had an unemployment rate of 5.9% last month. That ties it for 9th highest of all Florida metro areas alongside Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville.
CareerSource Flagler Volusia reports that employment in education and health services grew faster locally than in any other metro area in the state.
8 of the area’s 10 major industries gained jobs over the year, led by education and health services (+2,700). Information was the only one that lost jobs (-100).
Last month’s increase in the local unemployment rate was the first time that’s happened since June of last year.
All numbers used are not seasonally adjusted.
Copyright 2015 Southern Stone Communications.