After a brief dip in June, Indian River County's rate surged up seven-tenths of a percentage point in July to 14.9 percent, fourth highest among Florida's 67 counties. That figure represents 9,331 people who are unemployed and actively seeking work.
St. Lucie County was just ahead in third place after the rate rose to 15.2 percent in July from 14.4 percent in June.
Hendry County (19.7 percent) has the state's highest unemployment rate, followed by Flagler County (15.6 percent). Okeechobee County (14.6 percent) ranks fifth. The jobless rate in Martin County, which ranks 28th, increased to 12.3 percent from 11.7 percent in June.
The Agency for Workforce Innovation said in a news release that most of the counties with the highest unemployment rates have seasonal declines in agriculture and related industries.
Helene Caseltine, Indian River County director of economic development, said the increase in July "reflects the seasonality of our region, but also points to the importance of diversifying our economic base."
Statewide, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased only marginally in July to 11.5 percent, from 11.4 percent in June.
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