Florida sees steep jump in new jobless filings to begin June

Florida posted a sharp start to June as initial unemployment claims rose sharply, reaching 7,447 for the week ending June 6, up 2,084 from the prior week. The nationwide tally climbed 21.3% to 228,276 new filings, exceeding economists’ expectations by about 4,000 claims. Earlier in May, the state posted a higher number due to industry adjustments, while Florida’s April unemployment rate stood at 4.8%, above the national figure of 4.3% in May. The latest figures align with a national uptick, as Spirit Airlines’ shutdowns in May helped push the state’s totals higher, and FloridaCommerce is expected to release the May unemployment data later in the month.