Florida unemployment ties record high

TAMPA - Unemployment has never been higher in Florida.

The state's jobless rate has risen two tenths of a point and is now equal to the state's record high, 11.9 percent, according to the state.

The Agency for Workforce Innovation said 1.1 million workers were unemployed in January, the most recent data available. The last time the unemployment rate was this high was May 1975.

When broken down by county, the employment report shows exceptionally high unemployment in Hernando and Citrus counties. Hernando reported 15.7 percent unemployment; Citrus reported a jobless rate of 14.6 percent.

The state's 11.9 percent unemployment is significantly higher than the current national average, 9.7 percent.

Appearing in Tampa Wednesday, Governor Charlie Crist announced that federal stimulus money will soon begin flowing into Florida to subsidize job creation.

"It's all about jobs, jobs, jobs," he said.

Crist and his jobs chief Cynthia Lorenzo said the state has received a $60 million portion of an ultimately larger allocation designed to put 25,000 people back to work.

"This is going to bring two hundred million dollars to Florida to support businesses," said Lorenzo, who heads the Agency for Workforce Innovation.

But businesses are not the only ones in line to collect the federal money. Government agencies are in competition with the private sector.

In Pinellas County, the very outfit that has handled the applications for "Florida Back to Work" is itself asking for $576,334. WorkNet Pinellas is seeking 25 jobs.

Crist, who is running for U.S. Senate on a platform that includes a call for smaller government, said he is comfortable with a larger public payroll, provided it creates a trickle-down effect on the economy.

"The more that people are employed, the better opportunity they have to provide the small businesses throughout the sate of Florida with the consumer confidence they need to come in the store," Crist said.

Looking ahead, the state jobs agency said U.S. Census work counting residents is likely to assist the state's employment ugly picture.

"The state anticipates the Census will employ more than 63,700 Floridians over the duration of the process," AWI said in a statement.