Over 8 percent of Osceola County’s workforce has filed a Reemployment Assistance claim since March 7, according to data release by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, the government office tasked with processing unemployment benefits.
At 8.1 percent, it’s the second-highest ratio of workers among the state’s counties, only behind Monroe County (8.4). That includes the Florida Keys, which are closed to non-residents. A total of 463,309 claims were made statewide over the last
There have been 14,884 claims in the county, the ninth-most out of 67 counties. About 20 percent of those (3,752) come from the accommodation and food services sector, followed by administration, support and remediation (1,890), retail trade (1,103) and arts, entertainment and recreation (908).
The DEO said Tuesday night that 15.9 percent of those claiming unemployment have received benefits. Applying that to the total number of claims, then only 2,367 county filers have (or might have) received money or benefits, leaving about 12,500 who have claimed are still waiting.
At this week’s virtual County Commission meeting, board chair Viviana Janer relayed that she had signed a letter to the state’s Department of Management Services and Department for Unemployment requesting the expediting of unemployment processing.
