Florida unemployment ticks up slightly as state sees job 'surplus' 'Our biggest hurdle is finding employees,' Melode Smelko, owner of Altrua Global Solutions, says Floridaâs unemployment rate is up slightly. Economists today saying it grew a tenth of a percent from March to April, landing at 4.8%. and last updated 2021-05-21 18:57:08-04 TALLAHASSEE, Fla. â Florida's unemployment rate is up slightly, economists reported Friday. The latest numbers from Florida's Department of Economic Opportunity show the rate grew a tenth of a percent from March to April, landing at 4.8 percent. The current national average is 6.1 percent. The good news is that the state's labor force grew too, up 73,000 over the month. It now sits at its highest since the pandemic began.