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Palm Beach County's jobless rate moves slightly higher

By Palm Beach Business.com

DELRAY BEACH — Unemployment bumped slightly higher in Palm Beach County last month but fell statewide as the number of out of work dropped below 800,000 for the first time since January 2009.

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity reported Friday that Palm Beach County’s jobless rate rose to 8.6 percent in May compared to 8.5 percent in April. A year ago, the rate sat at 10.4 percent. The actual number of unemployed workers rose to 53,422 from 51,828 a month earlier.

The increase  most likely was due to seasonal factors as the county’s leisure and hospitality industry geared down from the winter tourist season. County figures are not adjusted for seasonal factors.

Meanwhile, the statewide jobless rate edged down to 8.6 percent from 8.7 percent in April. A year ago Florida’s unemployment rate sat at 10.6 percent.

The actual number out of work: 794,000, down 10,000 from April. At the peak of the recession, more than 1 million workers were unemployed.