looking for something that gives me a better bargain .”
Consumer prices were up 7.1 percent nationally in November from a year earlier . That was down from 7.7 percent in October and a 9.1 percent peak in June . Florida was one of three states that posted lower unemployment rates in November than October . Florida also had the largest number of job gains at 28,100 , followed by Illinois at 17,500 and Massachusetts at 17,300 . Since the start of November , the state has averaged 6,041 first-time unemployment claims a week , according to the U . S . Department of Labor .
Before Hurricane Ian , Florida averaged 6,120 claims a week going back to the start of July , Department of Labor numbers show . In the three weeks after Ian , the weekly average was 11,871 . Among metropolitan statistical areas , the lowest unemployment rate in November was in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach areas , at 2.1 percent . The next-lowest rates were in the Panhandle , with the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin area at 2.3 percent and the Panama City area at 2.4 percent .
The Jacksonville area was at 2.5 percent . The Tampa-St . Petersburg-Clearwater and Pensacola areas were at 2.6 percent , while the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford region was at 2.7 percent . As hurricane recovery continued in Southwest Florida , the Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island area ’ s unemployment rate improved from 2.9
New grandparents , Kathy “ KK ” and Paul “ Poppy ” Blackman welcomed their first grandchild , Cade Daniel Merrell on Nov . 19 . Parents Meghan Blackman Merrell and Caleb Merrell are handling parenthood with panache and grandson Cade can ’ t wait for KK and Poppy to come visit during the holidays .
percent in October to 2.7 percent , while the North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton region went from 2.7 percent to 2.6 percent . The highest rate in November was in the Sebring area at 4.2 percent .
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