INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The number of unemployed people in Indian River County as calculated by the state’s Agency for Workforce Innovation dropped slightly in February compared to January from 14.4 percent of the workforce to 14.3.
However, the number of employed people actually dropped by 115 people from 9,012 to 8,897 as the total workforce in the county dropped from 62,409 in January to 62,048 in February. It was not clear from the numbers if that drop indicates workers who have moved out of the county or have simply stopped looking for work and are no longer counted. The unemployment rate in Indian River County a year ago was 10.6 percent, with 6,617 workers unemployed.The seasonally adjusted unemployment for the state in February ticked up to 12.2 percent, the highest ever recorded, including in the recession that lasted from 1973-1975. The unemployment average for the country was 9.7 percent in February.