Sunshine Sentinel

Florida Gov. Rick DeSantis's decision on June 26 to opt out of the federal COVID-19 pandemic unemployment benefits program has gone into effect, ending a weekly $300 benefit for unemployed workers.

John Horne, owner of Anna Maria Oyster Bar, said each of his four locations in Manatee County was short-staffed by at least 10 people since the federal unemployment assistance was put in place, FOX 13 News reported. He noted that the restaurants hadn’t seen a single application “in two months,” despite using Indeed, Facebook and Craigslist to advertise open positions. 

The decision to end the additional benefits was part of the state's "Return to Work" initiative designed to encourage people laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic to go back to work.

"People can go to work now," Horne told FOX 13 News. "It's safe to get back into work. It's safe to get back into hotels, restaurants, to travel. Let's all get back to work and let's take care of the people in our area." 

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity reported there were more jobs available across the state than there were people too fill them, with more than 510,000 jobs available and 503,000 Florida residents remaining jobless.

Horne told FOX 13 on Tuesday that since the federal unemployment aid has ceased, his restaurants “have seen an uptick in applicants.”

CBS Miami News reported that Geoff Luebkemann, senior vice president of the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association, said, “With the number of jobs open in the state we applaud the governor’s initiative to end the federal component this weekend,” adding that he is “optimistic the industry’s workforce will return.”

Prospective employers are also offering lucrative offers including signing bonuses, opportunities for advancement and an increase in wages to further incentivize Floridians’ return to work.

Florida is one of 26 states to end the federal unemployment assistance program before its September expiration date, FOX 13 News reported.