TALLAHASSEE — Florida’s unemployment rate held at 3.7% in July, with a state economist saying demand remains high for workers.

“The number of job openings is up from the same point in the year before,” Jimmy Heckman, chief of workforce statistics and economic research at the Florida Department of Commerce, said Friday. “So, we are really seeing strong demand for labor, which will give opportunities to unemployed Floridians.”

The unemployment rate also was 3.7% in April, May and June. A monthly report released Friday by the Department of Commerce said 417,000 people qualified as unemployed in July, up 2,000 from June. The labor force increased by 3,000 to 11.196 million.

Florida’s jobless rate in July 2024 was 3.4%. The number of unemployed people increased by 35,000 from July 2024 to la

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