As Unemployment Claims Mount, DeSantis And Florida Republicans Drive State Into A Downturn

On April 30, the Department of Labor (DOL) reported 3,839,000 seasonally adjusted new unemployment claims had been filed last week. At the same time, DOL reported Florida received 432,465 new unemployment claims.

In just the last two weeks Florida has seen over 930,000 unemployment claims. The state has seen over 2 million jobless claims since mid-March. Florida’s workforce population is 10,335,000.

These alarming numbers come just days after reports that Governor Ron DeSantis’s administration has rejected one in four processed applications, limiting the number of applicants that can be logged onto the site, and telling those that applied before April 5 to reapply.

Terrie Rizzo, chair of the Florida Democratic Party, slammed DeSantis for his poor handling of unemployment claims and his continued silence on having the legislature expanding benefits:

“Governor Ron DeSantis continues to make a mess with our state’s unemployment system while hundreds of thousands of Floridians lose their livelihoods. Worse, after repeated calls, he continues to ignore the need to have the legislature convene to expand unemployment benefits and lift arcane restrictions. Unemployment insurance is one of the most important safeguards to prevent economic collapse. The longer DeSantis and his Republican allies ignore the needs of Florida’s unemployed, the greater chance our state may fall into an economic depression.”