INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — In a sign that perhaps the employment outlook is starting to get better, 234 jobs were added in Indian River County in March as the unemployed dropped from 14.4 to 13.9 percent.That figure represents 8,675 county residents out of work compared to 8,909 in February. One reason for the increase may be Piper Aircraft, once the county’s largest private employer, which has started hiring back workers as it expects an increase in plane orders over the second half of the year. The 13.9 percent unemployment for the county is higher than the state average of 12.3 percent. “We remain dedicated to serving the people and businesses of Florida as our nation emerges from this recession,” said Agency for Workforce Innovation Director Cynthia R. Lorenzo, which monitors unemployment in the state. “Florida’s job market continues to show signs of improvement with job losses moderating and new job listings increasing. We continue to see encouraging indicators that Florida’s economy is on the road to recovery.” Last March in Indian River County unemployment was at 11.2 percent representing 7,021 county residents out of work.
