The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday estimated 5,681 initial unemployment claims were filed last week in Florida, down from a revised count of 5,803 during the week that ended Jan. 20.

The state has averaged 6,166 claims a week since the start of the year, slightly up from the weekly average of 5,774 in all of 2023.

Nationally, the Department of Labor estimated 224,000 claims were filed last week, an increase of 9,000 claims from the previous week.

Since the start of the year, the U.S. weekly average is 215,000.

Florida had a 3 percent unemployment rate in December, with an estimated 334,000 Floridians out of work from a labor force of 11.194 million.

The Florida Department of Commerce will release January jobless figures on March 11.