MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Florida’s unemployment rate dropped below 10 percent in December for the first time since April 2009. According to Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, Florida’s unemployment dropped to 9.7 percent in December.

Still, the unemployment rate in Florida was more than a point above the national unemployment rate of 8.5 percent in December.

“Florida continues to see gains in its private sector job creation and a decrease in our unemployment rate – now down to single digits,” said Governor Rick Scott. “Working with the
Florida Legislature to create the strongest economy in the nation, I am focused on eliminating burdens on businesses and improving our workforce development efforts to attract needed
jobs that can help Floridians get back to work and aid in our economic recovery.”

Locally, the news wasn’t always as rosy on the jobs front.

In Miami-Dade County, the unemployment rose in December to 10.3 percent. In November of 2011, the unemployment rate in Miami-Dade was 9.5 percent. But, year-over-year, Miami-Dade’s unemployment rate dropped from 13.1 percent in December 2010 to 10.3 in December 2011.

Based on Miami-Dade’s unemployment rate, more than 135,000 workers were currently receiving unemployment benefits.

Broward County continued to show improvement in the unemployment rate. In December, the unemployment rate in Broward was 8.5 percent, which was down from 8.7 percent in November. Compared to December 2010, Broward County’s unemployment has dropped 1.7 percent.

Overall in Broward County, a little more than 84,000 workers were still on unemployment benefits in December 2011.

Monroe County paced the state again with an unemployment rate of just 6.2 percent. That left just 2,813 workers in the Keys still on unemployment benefits.