Initial unemployment claims continued dropping last week in Florida.
The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday said an estimated 5,149 first-time jobless claims were filed in Florida during the week that ended Aug. 26, down from 5,711 during the week that ended Aug. 19.
It was the fourth consecutive weekly decrease, with an average of 5,716 claims a week during that period.
Florida had a 2.7 percent unemployment rate in July, representing an estimated 295,000 people qualified as out of work from a workforce of 11.08 million, according to the Florida Department of Commerce.
The July rate was up from a 2.6 percent rate that had been in place since January.
Nationally, an estimated 228,000 claims were filed last week, down 4,000 from the total during the week that ended Aug. 19.
Florida’s August unemployment rate will be released Sept. 15.