Florida’s unemployment rate remained flat last month as the national economy hit what state economist Rebecca Rust called a “soft spot” brought on by rising gas prices and natural disasters. # Employment rates actually fell across the state, but the statistical measure of unemployment remained unchanged due to seasonal adjustments, which are intend to allow number crunchers to get a read on economic trends that aren’t obscured by events that typically happen in June, such as layoffs in education and agriculture. # Gov.