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Hernando Today

Local Unemployment Still 2nd Worst In State

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By TONY HOLT

Hernando Today

Published: March 28, 2009

BROOKSVILLE - Florida was expected to hit a peak unemployment rate of 10.2 by early next year.

The latest data came in Friday. At first glance, the conditions could be "worse than expected," said one noted economist.

Hernando County's unemployment rate remains the second-worst in the state. It ticked upward to 12.7 percent for February, according to figures from the Agency for Workforce Innovation.

The state's unemployment rate jumped from 8.8 percent in January to 9.4 percent, making it the highest since April 1976.

During a conference call Friday, the agency's chief economist said nearly 400,000 jobs disappeared in Florida from January to February - a 5.1 percent decline. The job loss rate is approaching 1975 levels, which was at 6 percent, said Rebecca Rust.

"The 1974-75 recession was by far the worst since (the Great Depression)," said Rust. "We're getting closer to that."

The unemployment rate for Florida the year following that recession was 12 percent. For Hernando County, it exceeded 20 percent.

The number of unemployed workers in Hernando County increased from 7,890 in January to 8,083 in February - this in spite of a slight decline in the labor force.

"What's going on here is going on all over the state," said Ken Russ, a spokesman with the Hernando-Pasco Workforce Board.

Russ has not noticed any declines in the number of people seeking unemployment benefits or accessing job search Web sites at any of the agency's three office locations.

"We're seeing more new faces," he said.

In New Port Richey, office hours have been extended to 7 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays. It also is open from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.

The hours have not yet changed at the Spring Hill location at Forest Oaks Boulevard, but that could change soon, Russ said.

Pasco County's unemployment rate also spiked in February - from 10.8 to 11.3 percent.

Flagler County continues to have the state's highest unemployment - a rate of 14.2 percent. On the positive side, Flagler was one of only two counties that saw a decline in unemployment. In January, it was at 14.5 percent.

Bay County, located in the Florida Panhandle, was the other. Its unemployment dropped from 10.0 to 9.7 percent.

In January, 20 counties in Florida had double-digit unemployment. That number rose to 27 in February.

Fourteen out of Florida's 23 metropolitan areas are above the state's unemployment rate. Nineteen are higher than the most recent national unemployment figure, which was at 8.1 percent.

The Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area, which includes Hernando County, has an average unemployment rate of 10.2 percent, up from 9.7 the month before.

Some divisions in the retail sector have shown sustained growth, namely discount stores, electronics and mail order. It is a strong indication that consumer confidence is much stronger than employer confidence, said Doug Arms, a talent officer with Ajilon, an international staffing firm.

"Employers are not sure what to do with this recession because they still don't know where the bottom is," said Arms, who like most economists predicts an upswing by early 2010. "For individuals, the recession really hits them differently ... We're seeing some interesting trends."

Rust said the unemployment figures do not include those "discouraged workers" who are not actively seeking jobs.

Based on national data and recent trends, if those workers were included in the data, Hernando County's unemployment rate might actually be at 13 percent, she said.

Reporter Tony Holt can be reached at 352-544-5283 or wholt@hernandotoday.com.

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