Although the national rate fell sharply last month from 8.1 percent to 7.8 percent, the state did not pick up much of the benefit. In Palm Beach County, the unemployment rate fell 0.4 percentage points to 9.2 percent. Martin County dropped 0.3 to 9.4 percent and St. Lucie County sank 0.6 percent to 11.7 percent. Those rates are not seasonally adjusted and should not be compared directly to the state seasonally adjusted figure.
