• Good news for Duval County. The adjusted unemployment rate fell from December to January. While the state reported that Duval’s jobless rate was 12.6 percent in January, the rate was closer to 10.9 percent when adjusted for the seasonal jobs lost after the December holidays, according to economics professor Paul Mason at the University of North Florida. Mason said the January rate ended up lower than December’s 11.5 percent rate. Chief economist John Godfrey at Florida Economic Associates is optimistic about job growth. “I think we will start to see gains,” he said.
