Florida's unemployment rate continues to drop.
This morning, the state's December 2014 unemployment numbers were released. Last month, the unemployment rate was 5.6 percent—down 0.2 percent from November—numbers that mirror the national trend.
Florida added an estimated 12,700 jobs in December. The unemployment rate is the lowest it has been since the spring of 2008 when it was 5.4 percent. The new figures also show that there are roughly 543,000 people out of work in the Sunshine State.
Jesse Panuccio, the executive director of Florida’s Department of Economic Opportunity, said the lowered percentage indicates success and room for improvement.
“The jobs are coming back—the opportunity is coming back in our state,” he said. “We still want to get that unemployment rate down further and keep adding jobs.”
Panuccio attributed the increase in jobs to fewer taxes and regulations on businesses. He said he expects to see steady job growth and a steady decline in Florida's unemployment rate for 2015.
