Florida broke a streak of declining unemployment claims as new filings moved upwards
statewide while spiking in big states across the U.S.
Florida’s first-time filings rose to 25,012 for the week, and nationally, claims soared to 853,000, an increase of 137,000.
Economists from PNC Bank noted that nationally, non-farm payroll growth slowed to 245,000 for the month from 610,000 in October.
“Government employment fell 99,000 in the month, largely due to the end of temporary jobs for census workers,” they wrote. “With consumers spending more online and less at brick-and-mortar stores, retailers hired fewer workers than usual in the pre-holiday rush.”
First-time jobless filings continue to rise for federal benefits that are set to expire at the end of this month.
Congress, continues to try to reach agreements on refreshed programs for the unemployed, but the latest offering does not include one-time stimulus checks.
Florida’s Department of Economic Opportunity has distributed more than $19.1 billion in state and federal benefits to more than 2.1 million out-of-work Floridians.
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