Floridians to stop receiving federal unemployment in June

The state of Florida is stopping federal unemployment next month, meaning those receiving the extra $300 a week or $1200 a month will see the checks stop coming.

That will leave thousands relying on the $275 or less a week that the state offers.

With just five weeks left before the funds expire, the Career Source of Southwest Florida is already preparing for an onslaught of people expected to begin looking for a job.

Francis Suthered is among those getting an early start after contracting COVID-19 in December.

“Finally they let me come back to work on January 17th and said I took too long and we found a replacement. So I was stuck between a rock and a hard place,” she said.

She collected unemployment but with the federal dollars set to run out June 26^th, she is now ready to go back to work.

“There are (jobs) if you’re about 20-years-old and you can waitress because there are a lot of those jobs and a lot of retail, but I’m sorry I can’t live on $9 an hour,” she said.

Career Source, which helps people find jobs, is starting to see the increased interest in placement.

Statewide, the governor says there are 460 thousand jobs available in Florida.

“In the leisure and hospitality industry which suffered the biggest hit in Southwest Florida, we have somewhere in the neighborhood of 18 thousand jobs that are available,” noted Career Source Spokesman Jim Wall.

Many businesses can’t fill their positions. Wall noted that teachers, bus drivers and restaurant owners all have vacancies right now.

“As we recover, there are still going to be those jobs that are vacant and business employers are going to struggle to fill those jobs for a while to come,” Wall stated.

Many people looking for work complained the jobs are not offering a living wage to meet the increase in the cost of living.

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