Misinformation and distortions by businesses and some politicians, echoed by media, are blaming the unemployed for staying home to live on government checks. The evidence says otherwise, though belittling workers and lampooning government is part of the continuing war against better wages and stronger worker-safety protections.
Jobs & Unemployment
Sticking to Stinginess, Florida House Rejects Raising Unemployment Benefits Or Extending Eligibility
At a maximum of $275, Florida has the stingiest unemployment benefit system in the nation. It as the third-lowest weekly unemployment benefit behind Mississippi ($235), Arizona ($240), and is tied with Tennessee and Alabama. But all four of those states extend benefits for up to 26 weeks, while Florida does so just for 12.
Flagler and Florida’s Unemployment Rates Flat As DeSantis Amplifies False Claims About Unemployment Benefits
Some local officials, members of the business community and, today, Gov. Ron DeSantis, are without evidence other than anecdotal, attributing a dearth of job-takers to the claim that workers are staying home to cash in on unemployment benefits. The claim is largely false.
Citing Aesthetics and Law, Palm Coast Will Not Loosen Signage Ban, Whether for Realtors or Anyone Else
A majority of the Palm Coast Council rebuffed an attempt by Councilman Ed Danko to loosen the ban on Realtors’ open house and other signs in rights of way, saying both the city’s focus on beauty and a Supreme Court ruling on such signs leave no room for a shift away from current rules.
In a ‘Big Shift,’ Palm Coast Will Survey Residents On Relaxing Commercial Vehicle-Ban in Driveways
Palm Coast has always banned commercial vans and trucks from parking in residential driveways unless on a job, causing difficulties for many working people. The city council, willing to revisit the restrictions, will survey residents in a potential move toward relaxing the rules, which also affect signs on vans and trucks.
The False Choice Between STEM and the Arts: If You Care About All Careers, Protect Arts Programs in Our Schools
The arts do more than just serve as entertainment for us or as diversions or resume-padding for students, let alone as luxuries for school districts. Like team sports, the arts develop key interpersonal and critical skills that are rarely, if ever, taught in traditional STEM classes.
Palm Coast Tenant Jailed Over Death Threats Against Landlord. But Should He and His Family Have Been Evicted?
Anthony Douglas Debolt and his partner had lost their jobs during covid and fallen behind to the point of facing eviction from their R-Section house, and matters got worse as Debolt allegedly texted death threats to his landlord. But a federal order is in effect that protects some tenants from evictions,
Flagler Airport Will Delay Building Its New Terminal Another Year to Build More Money-Making Hangars
The Flagler County Commission agreed to delay building the long-awaited $6.5 million terminal at the county airport, agreeing instead to a $560,000 project to build 42 new hangars, which the airport director says will make the airport $212,000 a year.
Plan to Raze 4 Prisons and Eliminate 6,000 Beds Alarms Communities Attached to Jobs
A plan to shutter up to four state prisons is alarming officials in Florida’s rural regions where correctional institutions have played an outsized role in providing jobs and supporting businesses for decades.
Powered by Restaurants and Tourism, Economy Adds 916,000 Jobs, Lowering Unemployment to 6%
The national economy added 916,000 jobs in March, with big gains in restaurant, bar and tourism, construction and government jobs and strong gains in almost all other sectors, sending the unemployment rate down to 6 percent, the lowest rate in a year: the rate was 4.4 percent and rising 12 months ago as the coronavirus pandemic was sweeping in.
Among Stingiest in the Nation for Years, Florida’s Unemployment Benefits Could Rise $100 a Week
The proposal (SB 1906), which cleared the Commerce and Tourism Committee, would lead to a range of unemployment benefits of $100 to $375 a week. That would be up from the current range of $32 to $275 a week.
In Florida, Companies Will Be Shielded from Covid Lawsuits, Leaving Frontline Workers to Fend for Themselves
Opponents of the bill heading for Gov. DeSantis’s signature warn it will protect corporations more than people and offers no protections for front-line workers who contracted the virus while on the job. Employees are required to use the workers’ compensation insurance system for on-the-job injuries, but claims often are getting denied.
Employee Ranks Double at Flagler’s Own Coastal Cloud as Company’s Vaccine and Testing Platforms Go Viral
Hammock-based Coastal Cloud’s testing and vaccine platforms, adopted by the Florida Division of Emergency Management, placed the company at the center of the state’s battle against covid and resulted in a doubling of the company’s ranks to 280, despite the crisis.
Lawmakers Still Aim to Penalize Bright Futures Recipients for Not Taking ‘Approved’ Majors
Under the amendment filed by Sen. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, Bright Futures scholarships would be “reduced” for students who don’t choose an academic discipline deemed promising for job prospects.
Flagler County’s Unemployment Rate Rises Back to 5.1%, Florida’s Falls to 4.8%
While 595 more Flagler residents qualified for unemployment in January, an unusually sharp one-month rise in part reflecting retail’s post-holiday layoffs, almost 200 more people were employed in January than in December, and the labor force grew by 788, a strong indication of confidence in the local economy.
With Stimulus Dollars On the Way, Florida’s 1st-Time Unemployment Claims Fall to Lowest Level in Pandemic
The U.S. Department of Labor estimated Thursday that Florida had 16,005 initial unemployment claims filed during the week that ended March 6, down from a revised count of 19,020 claims in the week ending Feb. 27.
Between Employer Wage Theft and Political Meddling, Florida’s Minimum Wage Boost to $10 Is Struggling
The Florida Legislature is looking to tinker with the amendment that raises the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2026, and advocacy groups for higher wages are concerned about employers who violate the law by paying some employees below the minimum wage, ripping off employees.
Essential Workers Deserve $15 an Hour
I’m one of America’s millions of essential workers. We’re working in your children’s schools, at your grocery stores, and at drive-through windows. We’re cleaning your homes. And we’re struggling so hard to make ends meet.
Economy Adds Just 49,000 Jobs in Modest Rebound from December Losses as Covid’s Effects Persists
The national economy added just 49,000 jobs in January after losing a revised 227,000 jobs in December, the Labor Department reported today, underscoring the severe effects of the winter pandemic spike on Americans’ willingness to shop, eat in restaurants or travel large distances.
GOP Lawmaker Wants Teen and Felon Exception to Florida’s Voter-Approved $15 Minimum Wage
Senate Judiciary Chairman Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, said his proposal to amend the state Constitution to allow the Legislature to exempt convicted felons and people under 21 from the new minimum-wage requirements would help them get jobs in the future.
Sea Ray Plant Will Reopen as Boston Whaler, Bringing Back 300 to 400 Jobs and Annexing Into Palm Coast
Capping a whirling six months of major economic-development victories for Palm Coast, and two and a half years after the Sea Ray plant shut down off Colbert Lane, eliminating some 440 high-paying jobs, the plant will reopen very soon under the banner of Boston Whaler, a boat builder owned by Sea Ray’s parent, Brunswick Corp.
Senate Pandemic Preparedness Chairman to Advocates of Covid-Safety Lockdowns: Drop Dead
Businesses will remain open for the economic well-being of the state even as covid-19 cases continue to surge in Florida, the head of a Senate select committee on the pandemic said this week.
Flagler Unemployment Flat for 4th Month in a Row as Economy Struggles To Regain Pre-Covid Confidence
Flagler County’s and Florida’s December unemployment figure reflect continued struggles in an economy dominated by a hospitality industry, including bars and restaurants, that lost yet more jobs as the pandemic ramped up in the state.
In 1st Loss Since April, Economy Sheds 140,000 Jobs as Pandemic Worsens and Vaccines Lag
After seven months of gains that had recovered more than half the jobs lost in spring, the national economy lost 140,000 jobs in December as the coronavirus pandemic worsened and efforts to contain it failed, with a president largely absent from governance and leadership since before the election.
Questions Remain About Added Jobless Benefits for Floridians
Questions remained Wednesday about when extended unemployment benefits from a newly signed federal stimulus package will be available for Floridians out of work because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Stimulus Bill Is a Welcome Stopgap, But Not Nearly Enough
The Covid-19 relief bill will help, but much more needs to be done to combat the pandemic and make the country stronger in the face of future crises.
Flagler’s Unemployment Rate Ticks Back Up, Florida’s Stalls as Covid’s Effects Take Economic Toll
Flagler County’s unemployment rate in November rose slightly to 5.9 percent, from a revised 5.5 percent in October, as Florida’s rate remained unchanged at 6.4 percent, signaling a deepening stall of economic activity since summer’s end as the coronavirus continues to take a human and economic toll in the state: seasonal hiring has not materialized as it has in less diseased years.
Palm Coast Council Awards Jacksonville University $2.5 Million to Open Town Center Campus, But Without Unanimity
While the Palm Coast City Council’s majority supported the subsidy with enthusiasm, Council members Ed Danko and Victor Barbosa opposed awarding some or all of the money to the University of Jacksonville for different reasons, a split that did not exist when the council welcomed the University of North Florida with a $1.5 million subsidy.
Unemployment Payments Are Weeks Late in Florida and in Nearly Every State
A federal standard requires 87% of unemployment claims to be met within three weeks of filing. Florida wasn’t ,meeting the standard even before the pandemic, and since spring, saw the standard fall as low as 22 percent. Florida’s dismal record prompted a lawsuit.
Flagler Beach Hotel Replacing Farmers’ Market Gets Key Board’s Approval, With No Public Opposition
The Flagler Beach Planning Board Tuesday evening voted 7-0 to recommend the plan for a 97-room hotel and town houses adjacent to Veterans Park on land used for a farmers’ market for 30 years. There was. surprisingly, no public opposition. The proposal moves on to the City Commission on Dec. 10.
12-Room Motel and 3-Unit Development, Including 2 Vacation Rentals, Advance in Flagler Beach
While three tourism-focused proposed developments in Flagler Beach point to a bullish economic future that would help balance the city’s tax base, the spate of high-visibility proposals may also be contributing to a mixture of public unease and antagonism to so much palpable change, much of it in iconic areas.
Recovery Stalls in Flagler and Volusia as Job Gains Slow, Consumer Confidence Drops and Covid Cases Surge
Flagler County’s unemployment rate in October was 5.7 percent, down a statistically insignificant decimal point from the previous month, and consumer confidence statewide again dropped in a reflection of the sharply worsening covid pandemic locally and statewide.
Judge Denies County’s Motion to Dismiss Captain’s BBQ Suit But Cracks Open a Way to Get There
While all but ridiculing the county’s claim that it had broken the law by approving a lease amendment with Captain’s BBQ without putting it out to bid, Circuit Judge Perkins was far more receptive to the county’s claim that the amendment had not yet kicked in, and so could not have been breached. He all but drew a map for the county’s next attempt to dismiss the lawsuit, pending the taking of depositions.
Who’s Afraid of a $15 Minimum Wage?
Forget assumptions. Forget fear-mongering PR releases chambered in baseless claims that a $15 minimum wage will cost jobs. When the most extensive analysis on the subject shows 20 times more people will live better than lose jobs, it’s case closed.
Economy Adds 638,000 Jobs, Lowering Unemployment Rate to 6.9%; Half Covid Losses Recovered
The U.S. unemployment rate fell a full percentage point in October, to 6.9 percent, as the economy continued its steady if fitful recovery from coronavirus-related job losses, adding 638,000 jobs in October. The gains would have been higher had it not been for the loss of 147,000 temporary Census jobs.
Flagler Falls 1% Short But Florida Voters Approve $15 Minimum Wage Phased in By End of 2026
The hike in the minimum wage will be phased in through Sept. 30, 2026, but it will represent a significant move in a state heavily dependent on tourism and the service industry for jobs. It was put on the ballot with the financial help of well-known Orando trial attorney John Morgan.
Disney Will Lay Off More Than 11,000 Union Workers as Covid Keeps Visitors Away
The layoffs are part of the Walt Disney Company’s plans to lay off 28,000 employees in the U.S., due to prolonged closures at parks in California and limited attendance in Florida. Disney employs about 77,000 people in Florida.
Unemployment Ticks Down to 6.2% in Flagler and Up to 7.6% in Florida as Recovery Slows
Flagler County’s labor force had been setting records and moving toward the 50,000 mark just before covid struck. It is now at 45,902, down from 47,459 a year ago. There are 2,700 fewer unemployed persons in the county today than there were a year ago.
Amendment 2, Raising Minimum Wage $1 a Year Until 2026, Would Lift Pay for 2.5 Million Workers
While the opposing camps on Amendment 2 offer those dramatically different pictures about what will happen if the minimum-wage measure passes, political experts anticipate that the outcome of the vote on the proposed amendment — one of six on the Nov. 3 ballot — will be close.
Daytona State College Gets Nearly $1 Million Grant to Help Covid Unemployed or Furloughed Back to Work
DSC’s Rapid Credentialing programs may be completed in as little as one to 18 weeks to assist unemployed, underemployed, or furloughed workers. Qualifying participants may be able to qualify at little or no cost depending on the program selected.
Florida Jobless Claims Up Again to Highest Number in 4 Weeks Despite Lifted Restrictions as Layoffs Pile Up
First-time unemployment claims jumped last week to 40,200 in Florida, up from 32,400 the previous week, as a growing number of major entertainment and travel-related businesses, including Disney and Universal cut hours and lay off employees.
Unemployment Rate Falls to 7.9% But Jobs Recovered Slow By More Than Half, to 661,000
The national economy returned 661,000 jobs to the workplace in September, less than half the 1.5 million added in August, as the pace of the recovery slowed and the unemployment rate fell to 7.9 percent. Personal income flattened in August and spending slowed as unemployed Americans lost their supplemental federal unemployment benefits.
Jobless Claims Are Down Across Florida, But Companies Are Imposing Large-Scale Layoffs
Florida is expected to end its participation in the federal Lost Wages Assistance program, which provides $300-a-week in benefits on top of state benefits. Nothing else has been lined up to replace it.
From Antagonism to Annexation: How Airport Commons Shopping Center Came to Love Palm Coast
The Palm Coast City Council this week annexed the 4-acre shopping center known as Airport Commons, opposite Wawa, on State Road 100, in a big shift from threats to sue the county over disagreements about it two years ago.
Jobless Claims Ease to 36,541 in Florida But Permanent Layoffs in Tourism and Hospitality Loom
The state’s latest number is down from an adjusted total of 45,590 first-time claims during the week that ended Aug. 29 and 51,647 claims during the week that ended Aug. 22.
Flagler’s Unemployment Back Up to 10.2%, Florida’s Up to 11.3% as Covid Surge Takes Economic Toll
After dropping sharply to 9.4 percent in June–down almost five points from the month before–Flagler County’s unemployment rate rose again, to 10.2 percent in July, a reflection of the coronavirus resurgence that began and June.
As Covid-Related Layoffs Hit Courthouse, Clerk of Court Gets, $250,000 Emergency Appropriation
Flagler County Clerk of Court Tom Bexley said his office saw $600,000 in lost revenue, the reduction from 62 jobs to 54, including four actual layoffs, and uncertainties ahead, requiring a $250,000 emergency appropriation to stave off further cuts.
Trump’s Dangerous Lies About the Covid Economy
Because of this resurgence, many states are pausing plans to reopen and some are reimposing restrictions. But these restrictions are not the reason the economy is slowing. They are the necessary consequence of allowing the pandemic to get out of control.
As Bars Must Wait Longer for Reopening, DeSantis Mulls Over Definition of ‘Essential’ Worker
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month put out new symptom-based testing guidance that would reduce the quarantine time for people not showing symptoms while recovering from the virus.
1.8 Million Jobs Return in July, But Pace of Gain Is Half That of June as Covid Scuttles Activity
The number of people holding jobs remains 12.9 million (or 8.4 percent) below February’s level. The current unemployment rate is 6.7 percentage points above that of February.