TALLAHASSEE – The jobless rate dipped slightly in Florida in January, but the tiny percentage point decline marked a huge psychological milestone. However in Polk County, the figure went up .01 percent.

In dropping from 7.9 percent in December to 7.8 percent in January, Florida’s jobless rate went below the national rate, which was 7.9 percent in January, for the first time since January of 2008.