Left to right: Jan Schoonmaker, Rep. Will Weatherford, Mike Barlow, Peter Waller, and Beth Wilson cut the ribbon on the new $2 million, 30,000 sq. ft. expansion of Everest University

The state's jobless rate hit 12.3 percent in March -- 2.6 percentage points above the national average. Florida lost 149,600 jobs in the past year, bringing the current unemployment number to 1,138,000 Floridians.

But two sectors -- health care and private postsecondary schools -- bucked that downward trend with a combined increase of 33,300 jobs, according to statistics compiled by Florida's Agency for Workforce Innovation.

Most of the increase is due to health care and social assistance (up 27,300 positions for a 3 percent increase), primarily in ambulatory health care services.

Private postsecondary education added 6,000 jobs (up 10.5 percent).

On the negative side, the biggest loss leader remained construction (down 57,000 jobs for a 13.7 percent decrease).