INTERACTIVE: Sarasota’s unemployment rate continues decline

The unemployment rate last month in Sarasota County dipped to its lowest level in more than eight years, according to the latest figures released by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity today. But the region actually lost 400 jobs compared to September.

Sarasota County outpaced the state, Manatee and Charlotte counties with a 4.8% unemployment rate in October. Sarasota had the 22nd lowest jobless rate out of Florida’s 67 counties during the period.

But the lower rate comes in part due the loss of more than 700 job seekers over the previous month, which balances out the loss of 439 employed county residents, according to the data. Workers filled about 168,200 jobs in October, while the labor force sat at about 176,730 people.

The last time the county’s unemployment rate fell below 5% was in June of 2007, which was about six months before the recession. At the height of the downturn, local unemployment eclipsed 12%.