Florida’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate in January was 11.9 percent, down slightly from the December 2010 rate of 12.0 percent, according to the latest report released today by the Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation.

This represents 1,100,000 jobless out of a labor force of 9,276,000. Florida’s total nonagricultural employment in January was 7,164,700, a decline of 12,900 jobs (-0.2

percent) from December. Over the year, jobs are up by 8,400, an increase of 0.1 percent from January 2010.

Osceola County’s jobless rate for January, not seasonally adjusted, was 12.7 percent, up slightly from 12.6 percent in December but down from the 12.8 percent for January 2010.

The jobless rate for the Orlando metro area, which includes Lake, Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties, not seasonally adjusted, was 11.7 percent in January, 11.5 percent in December and 11.7 percent in January 2010.

“While Florida’s unemployment rate is still unacceptably high, we are seeing positive signs that employers are starting to hire,” said Agency for Workforce Innovation Director Cynthia R. Lorenzo in a press release.

“An increase in online advertisements for full-time jobs coupled with an increase in Florida’s Consumer Confidence Index indicates that our business owners and families are increasingly optimistic about Florida’s economic recovery. As Governor Scott moves forward with his bold pro-business agenda, that optimism will continue.”

Consumer Confidence

Florida’s Consumer Confidence Index for February remained steady at 77 as reported by the University of Florida’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research, unchanged from the January rate and maintaining the significant improvement over the past three years. More Floridians now feel it is a good time to buy big-ticket items, and Floridians’ perceptions of the U.S. economy over the next year also improved slightly.

Factors contributing to Floridians’ confidence include an upward trend in the stock market, a steady increase in wages and several companies announcing intentions to hire more employees.

Online Job Advertisements

The percentage of online ads for full-time jobs compiled by the Help Wanted OnLine data series from The Conference Board increased from 67 percent of total ads in September 2010 - when the full-time job postings began to increase - to 71 percent in February. Florida had an over-the-year increase of 27,825 job postings compared to February 2010. Major occupational groups with the most online ads in February were sales and related occupations; healthcare practitioners and technical occupations; office and administrative support occupations; and management occupations.

Florida’s Nonagricultural Employment by Industry (Seasonally Adjusted)

• • The number of jobs in Florida is 7,164,700 in January 2011, up 8,400 jobs compared to a year ago.

January is the fourth consecutive month with positive annual job growth since the state started losing jobs in July 2007. The industry gaining the most jobs is leisure and hospitality (+32,600 jobs, +3.6 percent).

• • Other industries gaining jobs include education and health services (+13,000 jobs, +1.2 percent) and trade, transportation, and utilities (+9,300, +0.6 percent).

• • These industry job gains are partially due to increases in food services and drinking places; ambulatory health care services; motor vehicle and parts dealers; and general merchandise stores.

• • Industries losing jobs over the year include: construction (-24,000 jobs, -6.7 percent); financial activities (-7,700 jobs, -1.6 percent); manufacturing (-6,100 jobs, -2.0 percent); information (-5,200 jobs, -3.8 percent); total government (-1,900 jobs, -0.2 percent); professional and business services (-1,000 jobs, -0.1 percent); and other services (-800 jobs, -0.3 percent).

• • These industry job losses are partially due to weakness in specialty trade contractors; insurance carriers and related activities; miscellaneous durable goods manufacturing; telecommunications; local government; business support services; and membership associations and organizations.

Local Area Unemployment Statistics (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

 In January 2011, Liberty and Monroe counties have the state’s lowest unemployment rate (7.6 percent each), followed by Alachua County (8.6 percent), Wakulla County (8.7 percent), Leon County (8.8 percent), and Okaloosa County (8.9 percent). Most of the counties with the lowest unemployment rates are those with relatively high proportions of government employment.

Flagler County has the highest unemployment rate (16.0 percent) in Florida in January 2011, followed by Hernando County (15.1 percent); Hendry and Marion counties (14.2 percent each); St. Lucie County (14.1 percent); and Indian River County (14.0 percent). Flagler County, as well as most of the other areas with the highest unemployment rates, continues to suffer long-term job losses, mainly in construction. There were 52 Florida counties with double-digit unemployment rates in January, up from 50 in December.