Unemployment Rate: Marion 15.4%, Alachua 8.9%

The state announced this morning that Marion County's unemployment rate jumped to 15.4 percent in January, up from 14.4 percent in December and 11.5 percent in January 2009.

Only two other counties --- Flagler at 17.1 percent and Hernando at 15.7 percent --- had greater rates.

Meanwhile, the Gainesville area's unemployment rate rose to 8.9 percent in January from a revised 8.3 percent in December with more than 800 additional unemployed reported over the month by the Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation.