Looking back to January 2011 unemployment was 9.1% which was the highest month for unemployment across the United States. By December 2011 the unemployment rate was 8.5% and meant that approximately 13.1 million Americans were unemployed. Overall 2011 would end with unemployment down by .6% than when the year started.
The .6 percentage drop in unemployment during 2011 continued to be a hopeful sign when compared to the previous year. National unemployment on January 2010 was 9.7% and actually grew during 2010 to a high of 9.9% before finishing December 2010 with unemployment at 9.4%. During 2010 the overall drop in unemployment was .5%. Clearly, 2010 was when unemployment peaked and 2011 should be credited as when unemployment continued to drop.
While the beginning of 2011 unemployment seemed to get stuck around 9% until September it began to fall in October, November and December to finish out the year at a new low. During 2011 even North Dakota, the state with the lowest unemployment rate started 2011at 3.8% unemployment and ended 2011 at 3.5%.
In Florida, January 2011, newly elected Rick Scott began has term as Governor with statewide unemployment at 11.9% which was higher that the national unemployment rate of 9.1% Prior to being elected, Govenor Scott had made a promise of creating 700,000 jobs in addition to those normally created in the recovery. After being elected Scott back peddled on what he meant in his campaign promise of “Let's get to work”. By the end of 2011, Florida had added 98,100 jobs and unemployment was 9.9% meaning 912,938 Floridians remained jobless.
The sum of 2011 has unemployment continuing to move in the right direction. Looking ahead to 2012 let's hope the trend continues.
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