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Governor Charlie Crist visited a workforce center in Tallahassee today to listen to job seekers and offer them hope. At 7.3 percent, Florida’s jobless numbers hit a 15-year high on Friday. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, the Governor is hoping a Federal stimulus package will help put some people back to work.

Construction continues to be the biggest job loser…followed by business services, transportation and jobs in the financial industry.

A steady stream of people are visiting workforce centers, looking for work as Christmas approaches. CEO Kim Moore says unemployment isn’t taking a holiday.

“25 to 30 percent increase,” Moore said. “Last year alone we served 75,000 people so we are certainly expecting to increase that number. I would suspect around 100,000 plus would be our number.”

Jobless numbers hit a 15-year high on Friday. 680 thousand Floridians are now out of work. 59 thousand were added to the unemployment rolls in November alone. Governor Charlie Crist says he visited the Tallahassee center to understand what people need.

“It gives me a better handle of what opportunities exist, how we might be able to make changes to help people who are unemployed and want to work,” Crist said.

Cameras weren’t allowed inside with the Governor, but job seeks coming out found his presence calming.

“He was telling me what type of job I was looking for,” Jerry Moore Jr. “He gave a pep talk, said good luck.”

“Well, he did offer me a hundred thousand dollar job…I’m teasing about that of course,”
Michael John Herz said.

The official website EmployFlorida.com lists some 200,000 jobs that are available. That’s about one for every three people who are looking.

Still, the Governor says it’s a great place to start.

“It’s about providing hope for people,” Crist said. “Giving them an opportunity to have a better life.”

Florida has 88 such job centers.

Construction continues to be the biggest job loser…followed by business services, transportation and jobs in the financial industry.