Unemployment fell to an almost five-year low in April in Duval County and in the five-county metropolitan statistical area, according to state numbers seasonally adjusted by University of North Florida economics professor Paul Mason.
"The news on the employment front is positive for the third consecutive month," Mason said. "This is the lowest rate that unemployment has been in Duval County and the MSA since August 2008."
In Duval County, the rate, adjusted by Mason for seasonal factors, fell to 7 percent in April from 7.2 percent in March and 8.65 percent in April 2012
In the five county metro area of Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties, the rate fell to 6.51 percent in April from 6.63 percent in March and 8.26 percent in April 2012.
The state reported Florida's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 7.2 percent in April from 7.5 percent in March and 8.9 percent in April 2012.
It was the lowest rate since September 2008, the state said.
The state said there were 680,000 jobless Floridians in the labor force of more than 9.4 million.
The U.S. unemployment rate was 7.5 percent.
Looking more closely at the area numbers, released Friday by the state:
• Duval County: The labor force, comprising people working and looking for work, rose to 449,024 in April, up 1,523 over the month and 8,122 over the year.
Employment rose to 418,503, up 2,198 over the month and up 15,095 over the year.
Unemployment fell to 30,521, down 665 over the month and down 6,973 over the year.
• Metro area: The labor force rose to 698,619 in April, up 2,138 over the month and up 12,663 over the year.
Employment rose to 654,464, up 3,422 over the month and up 23,606 over the year.
Unemployment fell to 44,155, down 1,284 over the month and down 10,943 over the year.
Duval dominates as the metro area employment center, accounting for 64 percent of the labor force, 64 percent of employment and a stronger 69 percent of unemployment.
A separate report shows a 2.8 percent growth in total nonagricultural employment over the year in metro Jacksonville.
Goods-producing jobs, dominated by construction and manufacturing, rose by 3.1 percent; service-providing jobs increased by 2.7 percent; and government jobs fell by 0.5 percent.
Construction jobs grew by 6.6 percent, while manufacturing jobs logged a 0.4 percent decline.
Among service jobs, professional and business services rose the most, at 7.4 percent.
@MathisKb
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