Florida jobless claims lowest since Hurricane Helene in September
TALLAHASSEE - Unemployment claims in Florida dipped last week to the lowest number since around the time Hurricane Helene hit the state in late September.
The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday estimated 6,013 first-time unemployment claims were filed in Florida during the week that ended Nov. 16, down from a revised count of 6,660 during the week that ended Nov. 9.
The estimate is the lowest since 5,535 were recorded during the week that ended Sept. 28, which was the same week Helene damaged communities along the Gulf Coast and made landfall in Taylor County.
The state saw brief increases in claims after Helene and Hurricane Milton, which made landfall Oct. 9 in Sarasota County. Claims peaked at 10,800 during the week that ended Oct. 19.
The state had a 3.3% unemployment rate from April through October. Nationally, 213,000 claims were filed last week, down from a revised count of 219,000 during the week that ended Nov. 9.
