Florida's unemployment rate dropped from 4.8 percent in April to 4.7 percent in May, with the new rate representing an estimated 457,000 people being out of work, according to state Department of Economic Opportunity figures released Friday.

In the Pensacola metro area, the jobless rate continues its decline. Escambia County has 4.5 percent unemployment in May, compared to 5.7 percent a year ago.

Santa Rosa County’s unemployment rate is 4 percent, down from 4.8 percent a year ago.

In the two-county area, that translates to 9,093 people without work.

The state unemployment mark now matches the federal rate, which dropped from 5 percent to 4.7 percent between April and May.

Gov. Rick Scott noted the growth in a series of tailored news releases. His Pensacola area release says that the Pensacola area added 900 new private sector jobs in May.

According to that release, the industry with the largest job gains in the Pensacola area over the year was education and health services with 500 new jobs. In May, the Pensacola area had 4,690 job openings, which included 1,202 openings for high-wage, high-skill, science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) occupations.