First-time unemployment claims in Florida fell to 5,976 for the week ending May 17, down from 6,724 the previous week, according to U.S. Department of Labor data. The state’s unemployment rate rose from 3.5% in January to 3.7% in April, with weekly claims averaging around 6,000 since the start of the year. Roughly 410,000 people were out of work in April from a labor force of 11.2 million, according to the Florida Department of Commerce. Nationally, 227,000 claims were filed for the same week, with the unemployment rate at 4.2%.