KEY POINTS

  • Jobless Americans in Florida will no longer receive weekly payments starting June 26
  • A recent jobs report showed there are more than 460,000 job openings in the state
  • Florida will still keep other unemployment benefit programs

Florida announced Monday the state will stop paying $300 weekly unemployment benefits to jobless residents starting June 26.

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity said the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program (FPUC), which gives $300 weekly to unemployed residents, will be suspended as the state hopes to fill half a million job vacancies.

An April jobs report showed there are more than 460,000 job openings in Florida. Employment in the private sector also increased by 18,800 jobs.

“Thanks to Governor DeSantis’ leadership, Florida’s economy has bounced back tremendously with over 460,000 jobs available throughout our state and the strongest economic conditions in the nation,” Dane Eagle, Secretary of the Department of Economic Opportunity, said in a press release.

“Florida’s employers are also seeing employment growth, as more Floridians, including some who completely left the workforce, are now eagerly reentering the workforce. Transitioning away from this benefit will help meet the demands of small and large businesses who are ready to hire and expand their workforce.”

Florida is now the 23rd Republican-led state to terminate their $300 weekly federal jobless aid. However, Florida and four other states will keep other federal unemployment programs aimed at providing benefits to freelancers, the self-employed and independent contractors affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

These programs include the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) and Mixed Earners Unemployment Compensation (MEUC). These federal benefit programs will expire on September 6, 2021.

Last month, a group of small business owners from Flagler Beach wrote a letter addressed to Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-FL, urging him to end the benefits as it kept people from filling jobs. They also suggested reinstituting job search requirements.

"We had about a dozen interviews set, and so far, each and every person has showed up to those interviews, which, in the past few months, is a blessing because it really hasn't been like that," Johnny Lulgjuraj, owners of Oceanside Beach Bar and Grill in Flagler Beach, told Wesh 2 News.

The drop in new filings for US unemployment benefits comes after Congress approved President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion stimulus package to aid the economy's recovery from the pandemic
The drop in new filings for US unemployment benefits comes after Congress approved President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion stimulus package to aid the economy's recovery from the pandemic AFP / Brendan Smialowski
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