TALLAHASSEE - Floridians continue to file fewer first-time unemployment claims. 

The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday released a report that estimated 4,874 initial claims were filed in Florida during the week that ended April 1, down from a revised count of 5,129 during the week that ended March 25. 

Since the start of the year, the state has averaged 5,720 claims a week. 

During the past four weeks, the state has averaged 5,133 new claims. 

Florida had a 2.6 percent unemployment rate in February, reflecting 284,000 Floridians qualified as unemployed, down 2,000 from a month earlier. 

At the same time, the labor force grew by 24,000 people to 10.879 million. 

The state Department of Economic Opportunity will release a March unemployment report on April 21.