Unemployment up in Gulf, down in Franklin
Joblessness in Gulf County rose in March, and fell in Franklin, as both Forgotten Coast counties hovered around the 3.2 percent mark.
According to preliminary data released Friday by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, Gulf County unemployment rose by three-tenths of 1 percentage point last month, from 2.9 to 3.2 percent. Franklin County joblessness improved by one-tenth of 1 percentage point, to 3.3 percent.
In Gulf, 17 people joined the jobless rolls, raising them to 176, while the labor force grew by 40 people, from 5,456 to 5,496.
In Franklin, one person was added to the unemployment line, increasing them to 164, as the labor force grew by 90 people, from 4,828 to 4,918.
One year ago, the unemployment rate was lower in both counties, 2.3 in Gulf and 2.8 in Franklin, and both the labor force and the jobless rolls were smaller, with both counties at about 130 people on unemployment.
Gulf’s joblessness in March tied it with Bay, Broward, Orange and St. Johns as the eighth best county in the state. Franklin’s unemployment rate was the same as the state level overall, tied with Martin, Nassau, Palm Beach and Walton as the 13th best Florida county.
Okaloosa at 3.0, Monroe at 2.1 and Miami-Dade at 2.0 percent were the best counties in the state.
Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.2 percent in March, up 0.1 percentage point from the February rate, and up 0.4 percentage point from a year ago. There were 353,000 jobless Floridians out of a labor force of about 11.1 million. The U.S. seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.8 percent in March.
Florida’s seasonally adjusted total nonagricultural employment was about 9.9 million in March, an increase of 10,400 jobs (+0.1 percent) over the month. The state gained 211,100 jobs over the year, an increase of 2.2 percent. Nationally, the number of jobs rose 1.9 percent over the year.
Eight of 10 major industries experienced positive over-the-year job growth in March, the only ones losing jobs over the year were professional and business services (-4,700 jobs, -0.3 percent); and information (-100 jobs, -0.1 percent)..
The industries gaining jobs included education and health services (+62,000 jobs, +4.3 percent); trade, transportation, and utilities (+42,000 jobs, +2.2 percent); leisure and hospitality (+32,400 jobs, +2.5 percent); total government (+31,300 jobs, +2.8 percent); construction (+23,000 jobs, +3.7 percent); other services (+13,900 jobs, +3.8 percent); manufacturing (+7,700 jobs, +1.8 percent); and financial activities (+3,200 jobs, +0.5 percent).
| County | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Bay | 2.5% | 3.2% |
| Franklin | 2.8% | 3.3% |
| Gulf | 2.3% | 3.2% |
| Leon | 2.7% | 3.7% |
| Liberty | 2.8% | 4.0% |
| Wakulla | 2.4% | 3.1% |
Meet the Editor
David Adlerstein, The Apalachicola Times’ digital editor, started with the news outlet in January 2002 as a reporter.
Prior to then, David Adlerstein began as a newspaperman with a small Boston weekly, after graduating magna cum laude from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. He later edited the weekly Bellville Times, and as business reporter for the daily Marion Star, both not far from his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.
In 1995, he moved to South Florida, and worked as a business reporter and editor of Medical Business newspaper. In Jan. 2002, he began with the Apalachicola Times, first as reporter and later as editor, and in Oct. 2020, also began editing the Port St. Joe Star.