Companies have called back everyone. As someone who runs a service business in Florida I can tell you, people do not want to work. State of Florida pays $275 a week in unemployment assistance and then the Federal government puts in another $300 a week. That works out to a little over $14.30 an hour just to sit home and do nothing. Throw in tax returns and stimulus payments and the problem compounds. Unemployment benefits have even been extended to September so people aren't even going to look for a job until then. People up north still keep coming to Florida because they are sick of the weather and the lock downs but restaurant's don't have enough staff to take care of them. Hotels don't have enough housekeepers to keep the rooms clean or car rental agencies don't have enough agents to rent the cars.
Companies have called back everyone. As someone who runs a service business in Florida I can tell you, people do not want to work. State of Florida pays $275 a week in unemployment assistance and then the Federal government puts in another $300 a week. That works out to a little over $14.30 an hour just to sit home and do nothing. Throw in tax returns and stimulus payments and the problem compounds. Unemployment benefits have even been extended to September so people aren't even going to look for a job until then. People up north still keep coming to Florida because they are sick of the weather and the lock downs but restaurant's don't have enough staff to take care of them. Hotels don't have enough housekeepers to keep the rooms clean or car rental agencies don't have enough agents to rent the cars.
I've recently seen some blame for a lack of service workers on unemployment benefits, but it really isn't that simple.
Employment in Florida has quickly rebounded. In some areas, like construction, it never slowed down at all and, in fact, increased. The grocery industry boomed.
The jobs most impacted by the pandemic in Florida were low-paying service jobs in the tourism and hospitality industry. With those workers fired, they became free agents, with no obligation to return to the same company or type of job they had before.
One impact of the unemployment benefits is they allow workers the time to find a better job. If you are desperate for a paycheck, you may take that dishwashing gig when you can start right now. If you have a safety net, you may hold out for that interview next week at a factory.
These unemployed workers have lots of choices as to where to look for work. They may get jobs at
Amazon or Publix, or some other businesses that have been hiring lots of people here and generally pay better. Workers will gravitate to the best jobs if they have the chance.
When you shake up the job market and economy like the pandemic did, it makes sense that the least-desirable, lowest-paying jobs would be the last to get filled.
