By News Service of Florida
Florida had a slight increase in new unemployment claims last week, while the national total dropped after a one-week spike.
The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday estimated 5,919 first-time unemployment claims were filed in Florida during the week that ended Sept. 13, up from a revised count of 5,803 during the week that ended Sept. 6.
This year, Florida has averaged 6,364 initial claims a week.
Nationally, an estimated 231,000 claims were filed last week, down from a revised count of 264,000 during the week that ended Sept. 6.
The national average for weekly claims this year is 228,500.
The national total for the week of Sept. 6 was the highest for a week since October 2021.
The national numbers are seasonally adjusted, while the state numbers are not adjusted.
The Florida Department of Commerce will release an August unemployment report on Friday.