TALLAHASSEE — Florida saw its unemployment rate continue to tick up as 2023 ended.

The state Commerce Department on Friday released a report that said Florida had a 3 percent jobless rate in December, with an estimated 334,000 Floridians out of work from a labor force of 11.194 million.

The rate was up from 2.9 percent in November and 2.7 percent in December 2022, when the number of people out of work was estimated at 291,000 from a labor force of 10.84 million.

The Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Panama City and Tallahassee areas were all at 3 percent.

The Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metropolitan statistical area had the state’s lowest unemployment rate at 2.4 percent. The Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin area was at 2.7 percent, while the Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island area was at 2.8 percent and the Jacksonville area was at 2.9 percent.

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The highest rate was 4.5 percent in the Homosassa Springs area, followed by the Sebring area and The Villages area at 4.3 percent.

The national unemployment rate was 3.7 percent in December and has been under 4 percent for 23 months.

After spending the first half of 2023 at 2.6 percent, Florida’s rate slowly rose starting in July. The state’s record low was 2.4 percent during the housing boom of 2006.

Private-sector employment in Florida increased 2.6 percent over the past year, including 5.5 percent in a category of education and health services. Employment in a category that includes trade, transportation, and utilities were up 3 percent.

The statewide unemployment rate is seasonally adjusted, while rates for the metropolitan statistical areas are not adjusted.