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Week of September 9, 2004 |
| Miami jobless rate falls closer to national average Miami's unemployment rate has fallen closer to the national average, a US Department of Labor report shows.Miami-Dade County's unemployment fell to 6.3% in July, closing the gap with the national rate of 5.7%. In June, Miami's unemployment rate stood at 7.2%, and it was 7.4% a year ago July. But while Miami's unemployment levels are declining, they are still high for the state as a whole, which recorded a 4.6% unemployment level. Neighboring Broward County in July was at 4.5%. Greater Miami had 1.1 million persons at work in July, more than 13% of all the working persons in Florida. At the same time 71,100 in Miami were officially classified as unemployed but seeking work, more than 18% of the state's total of unemployed persons. In Broward County, last week's federal report shows, 41,300 persons were out of work and 908,200 persons were working in July. Most of the nation recorded drops in unemployment rates in July, with 291 of the 331 national metropolitan areas showing lower unemployment levels. Of the largest metropolitan areas in the nation, the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area had the third-lowest unemployment level in the US, at 3.7%. In the past year, Orlando had one of the nation's largest percentage gains in employment, with the number of jobs growing 2.1%. |
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