Jobless rates fall in Palm Beach, Broward counties

By Palm Beach Business.com

DELRAY BEACH — The jobs picture in South Florida brightened somewhat as the April unemployment rates in Palm Beach and Broward counties fell. Statewide unemployment fell to the lowest rate since September 2009.

In Palm Beach County, the rate for April fell to 10.2 percent compared with 10.7 percent in March and 11 percent in April 2010, according to a report released Friday by Florida's Agency for Workforce Innovation. The year-over-year comparison is significant because county data are not adjusted for seasonal factors.

In Broward, the jobless rate fell to 8.9 percent from 9.3 percent in March and 9.5 percent a year earlier.

Statewide, the jobless rate fell to 10.8 percent from 11.1 percent in March and 11.3 percent in April 2010. It’s Florida’s lowest rate since September 2009, while the number of unemployed fell below 1 million for the first time since October 2009. State numbers are adjusted for seasonal factors.

Nationally, the economy added 244,000 jobs in April, including 268,000 in the private sector with government shedding 24,000 jobs.

More to come later