Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.8 percent in April 2016, down 0.1 percentage point from the March 2016 rate of 4.9 percent, and down 0.7 percentage point from 5.5 percent a year ago. There were 472,000 jobless Floridians out of a labor force of 9,801,000.  The U.S. unemployment rate was 5.0 percent in April.  Florida’s unemployment rate has been less than or equal to the national rate for 26 of the last 41 months. The state gained 254,500 jobs over the year, an increase of 3.2 percent.  Nationally, the number of jobs rose 1.9 percent over the year.  Florida’s annual job growth rate has exceeded the nation’s rate since May 2012.

Manatee County’s April 2016 unemployment rate was 4.1 percent, down from 4.6 percent in April 2015. Sarasota County’s April 2016 unemployment rate was 4.3 percent, down from 4.8 percent the year before.