Published: June 19, 2009 11:01 am      

Jobless rate up in Suw., Ham., Laf.

Suwannee County's unemployment rate rose to 8.9 percent in May, up from 8.7 percent in April, according to figures released this morning by the state. Suwannee's jobless rate for May 2008 was 5.1 percent.

Hamilton County unemployment rose to 10.8 percent, up three-tenths from April. The jobless rate there in May 2008 was 5.8 percent.

Unemployment in Lafayette County also rose in May, rising to 6.9 percent. April's figure was 6.4 percent. The May 2008 jobless rate was 3.8 percent.

Florida's jobless rate is 10.2 percent, up from 9.7 percent in April and up 4.4 percent from the April 2008 rate.

The state's current unemployment rate is 0.8 percentage point higher than the national unemployment rate of 9.4 percent. The last time Florida’s jobless rate was higher than May 2009 was October 1975 when it was 11 percent.