On Friday, Gov. Rick Scott and the Department of Economic Opportunity released the monthly jobs report the Sunshine State as the unemployment rate dropped to 3.7 percent in July, down .1 percent from June.
This is the lowest the state unemployment rate has been in more than a decade. The last time the rate was this low was back in April 2007.
Florida also received some more good news when it was compared to other states. In a new study from GOBankingRates listing the best and worst states for middle-class Americans, Florida placed third. South Dakota was ranked as the best state.
Researchers said Florida cracked the top three for several reasons including the lack of a state income tax which, they noted, is great for the middle class.
The report also showed that, as of 2014, the average resident considered to be a part of the middle class was earning about $70,100.
Another winning ticket for Florida was the cost of higher education. The study noted that in-state college tuition costs $6,360, on average, down 4 percent over the past five years.
Over the summer, Florida Atlantic University (FAU) released a poll where voters said the top issue in Florida was the economy which could benefit Scott. When Scott took over in Tallahassee at the start of 2011, the unemployment rate in Florida was well over 10 percent.
Two out of three voters said Florida is moving in the right direction, while about 37 percent said the state is on the wrong track. Republicans and voters outside the major parties were more likely to say the state was on the right track. However, the poll showed that 51 percent of Florida Democrats said the state was moving in the wrong direction.
Contact Ed at Ed.Dean@FloridaDaily.com.
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