Gov. Ron DeSantis indicated Friday he won’t support increasing weekly unemployment benefits for out-of-work Floridians.
Florida has one of the stingiest unemployment systems in the country, paying a maximum weekly benefit of $275.
A proposal in the Florida Senate would increase that amount by $100, but DeSantis told reporters in Lakeland he doesn’t see a need to raise benefits.
“Our goal is to get people back to work,” he said. “I think there is a lot of demand right now. … There is demand in the economy for hiring and that’s a good thing, much different than it was a year ago. “
“Our unemployment is what it is,” he added. “It’s fine.”
Florida Speaker of the House Chris Sprowls has also said he’s reluctant to increase jobless benefits.
Other states are much more generous to unemployed workers. For instance, Texas’ jobless benefits max out at $521 for up to 26 weeks.
State Sen. Linda Stewart, D-Orlando, blasted DeSantis’ comments, saying Floridians are desperate for relief and the state’s jobless benefits are some of the lowest in the country.
“It is absolutely not ‘fine’,” Stewart said. “And if he was in the real world, he would know that.”
In Florida, the maximum number of weeks is tied to the unemployment rate. If it is less than 5%, benefits max out at 12 weeks; if it’s 10.5% or higher, those out of work can receive up to 23 weeks.
The proposal under consideration in the Senate would extend benefits to 14 weeks if unemployment is low and up to 25 weeks during high unemployment.
Federal aid helped to cushion the pandemic’s blow for out-of-work Floridians, providing an additional $600 in jobless benefits with much of the economy shut down in 2020. A $300 weekly federal supplement will run through September.
Florida’s unemployment rate stood at 4.7% in March.
Speaking in Lakeland, DeSantis also encouraged fully vaccinated people to not hesitate in resuming their normal activities.
“If you get a vaccine, the vaccines are effective,” he said. “You’re immune. So act immune.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, though, advises people to continue wearing a mask in public and taking other precautions.
Skyler Swisher can be reached at sswisher@sunsentinel.com, 561-243-6634 or @SkylerSwisher.
