South Florida unemployment rises again

With the economic recovery moving at a halting pace, unemployment in South Florida continued to rise in June, still high above the national average, while the statewide rate — among the nation’s worst — didn’t show any improvement.

New jobs just are not being churned out fast enough, as employer and consumer confidence wane, while seasonal fluctuations are taking a toll in the summer months, experts say.

“It’s going to be a long, slow slog,’’ said Frank Nero, president and chief executive of the Beacon Council, Miami-Dade’s economic development agency. “It’s not something that’s going to turn around overnight.’’

Unemployment jumped in June to 9.5 percent in Broward County from 9.0 percent in May, and rose to 13.9 percent in Miami-Dade, up from 13.7 percent. It’s the highest rate since 1975.

On a seasonally adjusted basis, the unemployment rate for Miami-Dade dropped slightly, though it remained high at 13.4 percent, compared to 13.5 percent in May.

The rosters of individuals without jobs soared, as did the number of people seeking employment in South Florida, according to figures released Friday from the Agency for Workforce Innovation, the state’s labor agency.

So, if you are looking for a job, you are far from alone. Statewide, the unemployment rate stayed at 10.6 percent, representing 982,000 jobless out of a labor force of 9,234,000. The rate remains above the national unemployment rate of 9.2 percent, which hit a peak for this year.

“We’re just holding steady,’’ said Rebecca Rust, chief economist with Florida’s Agency for Workforce Innovation. “We’re just stable this month. We’re not showing the improvements at the same level that we showed in May.’’

In fact, unemployment rose in every county in the state. But that reflects seasonal factors, including agricultural and education-related jobs, Rust said. That could include, for example, non-instructional personnel, or teachers on a one-year contract.

At the core of the problem: job creation is not happening fast enough.

Miami-Dade County added 12,700 new non-agricultural jobs between June 2010 and last month, an increase of 1.3 percent. The number represented the largest year-over-year gain statewide, surpassing Orlando and Jacksonville.

Yet, between May and June of this year, Miami-Dade lost 12,300 jobs, largely in the service sector and at the local government level. Industries showing job gains and offsetting the losses included construction and healthcare.

Similarly, in Broward, 12,500 jobs were lost in June, compared to May, mostly in the service and local government sectors.

“We’re creating jobs, but we’re not creating them fast enough for the folks out there looking for jobs,’’ said Nero, of the Beacon Council.

In fact, there are four people unemployed for every Internet job posting statewide, Rust said.

Just ask anyone who has dropped off a résumé or filled out an application.

“I’m applying for just about anything I have done in the past, from retail to open castings for TV or as an extra,’’ said Eric Joseph, 27, of Miami Beach, who lost his job recently.

In Miami-Dade, 182,279 people were without a job in June, up from 181,376 in May. In Broward, those unemployed rose to 94,075 in June, from 88,633.