Job seekers talk to employers at a job fair. (Joe Burbank, Orlando Sentinel) Is the state denying benefits to jobless who qualify?

The state said it cannot readily determine whether the rate of initial denials is rising, but several lawyers say they have seen instances in which the state or employers appear to be stepping up efforts to disqualify out-of-work Floridians.

• 
  Graphic: Initial jobless claims

• 
  Jim Stratton: National jobless claims fall a bit more than expected

• 
  Read Jim Stratton's Blog-o-nomics