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Florida’s unemployment rate has risen to 8.8 percent, up from 8.6 a month ago. The state lost 33-hundred jobs in July, but Department of Economic Opportunity Economist Rebecca Rust says there’s no need to panic. Rust says a one month increase is a far cry from a trend and since January the state is up 130-thousand jobs.

“There will always be month to month fluctuations so when you look at unemployment rates over time, graphically, you can see trends. It’s still very good but there are still little bumps along the way,” said Rust.

If the unemployment rate continues to rise for three more months then economist will consider it a trend. As it stands now, in Florida, the rate is still considered to be trending downward.