Florida’s unemployment compensation system has become one of the most complex and difficult in the nation to navigate, thanks to Gov. Rick Scott and the GOP-led Legislature.
Designed to temporarily assist those who lose their jobs through no fault of their own, Florida’s unemployment compensation system contains a number of burdensome requirements which restricts thousands of eligible Floridians from receiving help.
According to the Miami Herald:
“…Gov. Rick Scott and Florida’s Legislature are behind a multipronged effort to restrict payments to eligible Floridians. A required 45-question “skills review” and an online-only application system have combined to restrict thousands of applicants from receiving aid. The U.S. Labor Department is investigating the complaints. A spokesman told the Herald/Times that Florida is cooperating with their inquiry, but they would not comment further.
Florida’s “recipiency rate” — the proportion of unemployed people who actually receive jobless benefits— is 16 percent, the country’s lowest. Only one in three applicants for unemployment compensation in Florida receives any money, ranking the state dead last among the 50 states.
