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.

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday announced that from March 15 to April 15, the Department of Economic Opportunity made 33,623 payments to individual Floridians who applied for re-employment assistance benefits, leaving most of the 825,000 unemployed Floridians still waiting.

Only 23,801 checks for $600 as part of the $2.2 trillion federal stimulus have been sent out to Floridians, which is making the situation for people even more frustrating.

State Department of Management Services Secretary Jonathan Satter, who took charge of the state’s unemployment efforts from Department of Economic Opportunity Executive Director Ken Lawson, is focused on reducing the unemployment claims backlog and getting checks into the hands of those in need in Florida as soon as possible. 

The question of the day is how long will this joblessness go on given that it is directly, and indirectly stemming from COVID-19. Typically many factors will affect the unemployment rate, but as we know, it’s basically a singular event that has caused the current state of joblessness. So, as financial assistance makes it into the hands, hopefully, of Floridians, and businesses begin to re-open, how long will it be before the economy recovers and employees get back to work? Well, no one knows for sure at this point, but it seems as if we’re getting closer to find out with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis setting up plans to re-open the state in phases.

The post Florida’s unemployment rate leaps to 4.3%, highest jump since Great Recession, but how long will it last? appeared first on Positively Osceola.

The application must be made to the state’s Department of Economic Opportunity, and accepted, to begin collecting. And that’s been the hard part, with widespread reports of not being able to log on to the state website, or getting bumped off before finishing the application.

The DOE said it has spent more than $25 million the past couple of weeks to improve the computer and phone systems to collect the applications, and added 2,000 non-essential government employees who are not currently working in their usual roles to help handle calls regarding unemployment claims.

When the internet and phones are slammed, it’s snail mail to the rescue, and FedEx is stepping up to help those in need get the financial support promised.

State officials said more than 100 FedEx storefronts in the state are providing free printing and mailing of reemployment assistance applications. You can also access and print the application here and take it to FedEx, which shows these Osceola County applications that remain open as “essential businesses”:

FedEx Office Print & Ship Center, 4350 W Vine St, Kissimmee, FL 34746, 407-396-2923, open M-F 9 a.m.- 6p.m., Saturday 10-6
FedEx Office Print & Ship Center, 3295 Greenwald Way N, Kissimmee, FL 34741, 407-933-6760, M-F 9 a.m.- 6p.m., Saturday 10-6

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