County jobless rate inches upward

            Government jobs, still relatively unscathed by the ongoing recession, helped Franklin County maintain the state's third lowest unemployment rate in May.

            According to preliminary labor market statistics released Friday by the Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation, the county's overall jobless rate inched upwards to 6.4 percent in May, as 309 people out of a labor force of 4,855 were without work.

            The jobless rate was four-tenths of a percentage point worse than in April, when it stood at 6.0 percent, with 288 people looking for employment out of a smaller labor force of 4783.

            Despite the rise, Franklin's numbers placed it behind only Liberty County, at 5.0 percent, and Monroe County, at 6.2 percent, among the state's 67 counties. Trailing just behind Franklin were Alachua, Leon, and Walton counties, each at 6.6 percent, and Jackson County, at 6.8 percent.

            State officials said many of the counties with low unemployment rates have a relatively high percentage of government workers.

            Franklin's unemployment numbers placed it well above the 8.5 percent average for the three counties that comprise the Gulf Coast Workforce Region. Bay County posted an 8.6 percent jobless rate, just slightly better than the 8.4 percent in Gulf County.

            Still, the region's jobless numbers were 1.7 percentage points better than the state rate of 10.2 percent and nearly 1 percentage point lower that the national rate at 9.4.

            "Our area's unemployment rate is flat in comparison to last month, however; outside of the last six months, our unemployment rate hasn't been in the 8 percent range since early 1998," said Kim Bodine, executive director for the Gulf Coast Workforce Board. "We do see signs of improvement, and we are faring better than the nation, and the state; even better than most parts of Florida."

            Franklin's jobless rate continued its pattern of being 2.5 percentage points worse than one year ago, before the start of the current recession. In May 2008, the county had 191 people out of work from a similar sized workforce, for a 3.9 jobless rate.

            Bodine said that throughout the Gulf Coast region, job declines over the past year have now spread to most of the major industries including mining logging and construction, down 18.3 percent; manufacturing, down 16.2 percent; trade, transportation, and utilities, down 4.8 percent; retail trade, down 5.6 percent; transportation, warehousing and utilities, down 7.7 percent; financial activities, down 5.6 percent; professional and business services , down 8.4 percent; and education and health services, down 1.3 percent.

            The only regional industry sectors that have not declined are wholesale trade and information, both with flat job growth rates; leisure and hospitality, up 1.6 percent; and government, up 1.4 percent, due to additional federal jobs.

            To assist local unemployed residents, the workforce board is administering $1.7 million in federal stimulus funding for local workforce programs. "The board has contracted funds with Gulf Coast Community College and the Workforce Center to provide intensive services to those looking for jobs including training, and we have seen good results," said Bodine. "We have at least 100 folks in the pipeline for training and employment placement right now, and more are signing up every day."

            Individuals interested in assistance should contact Michelle Weiss at the Workforce Center, 850-872-4340 ext. 145.