Florida’s unemployment claims fell to their lowest level of the year last week, offering a positive sign for the state’s economy.
The U.S. Department of Labor estimated that 5,393 first-time unemployment claims were filed in Florida during the week ending March 1st. This represents a decrease from the revised count of 5,913 claims during the previous week.
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Nationally, unemployment claims also declined, with an estimated 221,000 claims filed last week, down from 242,000 the week before.
Since the start of 2025, Florida has averaged 6,237 unemployment claims per week. The recent drop suggests a continued positive trend in the state’s labor market.
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Florida’s unemployment rate held steady at 3.4% in December, with an estimated 377,000 people unemployed out of a labor force of 11 million. The state Department of Commerce will release unemployment figures for January and February later this month.
This positive news on the unemployment front suggests that Florida’s economy continues to strengthen and that businesses are hiring.
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