Sunshine Sentinel

The state of Florida is facing a lawsuit over the Republican governor's decision to end federal unemployment benefits to eligible individuals out of work. 

Earlier this year, Sunshine Sentinel reported that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis opted his state out of the extra $300 in federal unemployment insurance benefits. He has indicated that the expanded benefits are no longer necessary, as Florida's current unemployment rate sits at 5%, which is under the national average. 

Despite opting out of the federal benefits, some are attempting to challenge that decision. A lawsuit has been filed in an attempt to get an injunction against the state and force it to allow Floridians to collect the extra benefits, FOXBusiness reported.

“With the number of jobs open in the state, we applaud the governor’s initiative to end the federal component,” Geoff Luebkemann, senior vice president of the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association, said, CBS Miami reported.

In order to fill open jobs, employers may even be considering candidates they wouldn't have in the past.

“Many employers are offering all kinds of bonuses, and they are relaxing requirements for college degrees and mandatory experience,” Florida JobLink Director Stephanie Sims said. 

One recent additional marker of Florida's economic recovery was the 81,000 jobs added in the month of June, which is one of the highest totals since before the pandemic. 

The state of Florida contends that ending the financial benefit has been beneficial for both businesses and workers in the state. The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity told Business Insider that it planned to respond to the lawsuit because the state had opted out of the federal unemployment benefits as a result of "positive, record-breaking economic factors” including the state's unemployment rate which had been below the national rate for 11 months.