Protestors wave signs at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as he and Vice President Mike Pence visit the Westminster Baldwin Park Wednesday, May 20, 2020, in Orlando, Fla. Pence and DeSantis also participated in a roundtable discussion with hospitality and tourism industry leaders to discuss their plans for re-opening during the coronavirus outbreak. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

FORT LAUDERDALE (AP) — Florida’s unemployment rate jumped higher in May, hitting a record 14.5% as the state continued reeling from the economic shutdowns caused by the corona virus outbreak, statistics released Friday show.

Florida’s unemployment rate jumped slightly from the 13.8% figure in April. Before the coronavirus hit and devastated the state’s tourism, retail and other industries, February’s unemployment rate had been 2.8%. Florida has shed about 850,000 jobs compared to May 2019, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The national unemployment rate stood at 13.3% in May, a slight decrease from April, but up from 3.5% in February. The state and national figures are levels not seen since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Before the pandemic, the state’s post-World War II record for unemployment was 11.3%, set in early 2010.