LIMITED JOBS, DWINDLING HELP
A double whammy for Florida’s unemployed:
In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ibn Short, a former University of Kentucky track star, had no job and no prospects. But he decided to bypass unemployment benefits anyway. Instead, he consulted CareerSource Broward, the nonprofit job search and training agency that helps the unemployed get back on their feet. Once an aspiring Olympian, he wants to become a dental hygienist. His girlfriend is studying to be a nurse. “Right now, I’m working to get in a dental office,” the Fort Lauderdale resident said. “That’s the ultimate goal. I ended up moving to Florida with no big experience. They showed me some programs. I always had an interest in dentistry, and they told me to go for it. I had nothing lose.”
Among the millions of unemployed, many face a similar future: nothing more to lose. Their job prospects remain bleak, and their lifeline of government assistance may be coming to an end. Many are desperately redefining their working selves to survive until COVID-19 is either eradicated or brought under control.
Florida’s jobless rate was a
sky-high 14.5% for May with the rates in South Florida’s three main counties also in solid double digits. Although the U.S. economy added back 4.8 million jobs in June after rehirings in such savaged industries as leisure and hospitality, some economists think it may take years for business activity and employment to recover to precoronvirus levels.
“What’s the plan for when the status quo is lifted?” asked Patrice Paldino, executive director of Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida. The nonprofit agency offers legal services to people seeking unemployment benefits, help dealing with landlords and access to various forms of public assistance. Its clients include seniors, veterans and crime victims.
“Is there some sort of magic solution I’ve not aware of? There’s nothing in place for what’s going to happen next,” she said.
Nearly half of the U.S. working population is now unemployed, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. And for those fortunate to be collecting state and federal jobless benefits, those income sources are in some instances close to running dry. A $600 weekly payout from a federal relief program passed in March is scheduled to
run out July 31, for instance.
And if you’re a laid-off worker in Florida who made it through the tangled mess of the state’s unemployment benefits system, Florida’s short-term 12-week run of $275 payments may be close to ending if it hasn’t already. Without government aid or a job to help pay household expenses, evictions may not be far behind as tenants and homeowners run out of money to pay rent or monthly mortgage obligations. Currently, the only salvation for those behind on their payments are government-imposed moratoriums on evictions that keep landlords at bay. And they are temporary.
Two weeks ago, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the state would distribute $250 million in federal relief money for rental and mortgage assistance for Florida families that have been negatively impacted by COVID-19. But the state has yet to release details about the timing and distribution of the cash.
Lawyers on standby
Paldino said a large roster of lawyers is at the agency’s disposal for when evictions start piling up in the courts after government-sanctioned moratoriums expire.
But, she added, evictions “are complicated things.”
“If you are behind in your rent you still owe the money, and if you are able to make a payment plan with your landlord that’s great,” she said. But the arrangements need to be in writing and tenants should get receipts after they pay.
In addition, payment of back rent doesn’t necessarily result in retaining possession of an apartment. “You still may not keep possession because you have already violated the lease by not paying,” she said.
U.S. Rep, Ted Deutch, a Democrat whose district covers parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties, hopes Senate Republicans will come around to adopt the proposed $3 trillion Heroes Act passed by the House, a package of followup relief designed to help carry the country through the rest of the year.
“We knew when we passed the act that the economic devastation this pandemic has caused wasn’t miraculously going to end,” Deutch said in an interview this week. “That’s why we extended these benefits through January 2021 and provided for a series of direct payments. We continue to focus on the health part of the pandemic’s impact, which we should. But the economic impact is what has made life so miserable and so difficult for the members of our community.”
Among other things. the Heroes Act carries a generous list of relief money in the form of another $1.200 stimulus check for millions of individuals, a renewal of the $600 weekly jobless benefit, $100 billion in rental aid, $75 billion in mortgage assistance and $1 trillion for hard-pressed state and local governments that may soon be forced to lay off essential employees such as police officers, firefighters and health workers.
President Trump originally declared the new act “dead on arrival,” but Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell has suggested the Senate may take up a discussion on some kind of relief package this month.
In search of employment
In the meantime, it is difficult to determine which is harder: finding a new job in a pandemic economy or collecting benefits from Florida’s perennially challenged unemployment system. The state Department of Economic Opportunity says it has paid $8.5 billion in state and federal benefits since midMarch, with most of the money coming from federal programs. Nonetheless, there are still workers who say the agency has shortchanged them out of benefits or failed to process their claims filed as far back as March.
The following sites are job boards containing postings by employers. Applicants must register with the sites.
www.EmployFlorida.com: All openings are posted by employers seeking applicants for jobs inside the state of Florida.
www.Indeed.com: Applicants can post resumes within seconds; employers can post jobs on the home page.
www.careerbuilder.com: The site claims to list over 100 million jobs. It maintains a list of top 20 companies in hiring mode.
www.monster.com: Monster displays video job ads and offers free resume assessments and “job fit” ratings.
Carol Hylton, who took over as CEO of CareerSource Broward this week, said the agency is hearing from employers looking for workers in manufacturing, accounting, delivery and public safety. Other companies are seeking health care professionals such as pharmacists, nurses and psychologists. Technology support specialists, customer service representatives and cashiers are also in demand.
“Businesses that did not normally do as much in technology now are seeking resources to do that,” she said.
As the pandemic persisted, she said the agency inaugurated online services to help its clients train for new occupations or seek new jobs. CareerSource operated a series of virtual job fairs in May and June and is looking to do more. Among the participating employers: Walmart, Walgreen’s, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and American Medical Depot.
Many of CareerSource Broward’s two dozen sister agencies around the state are doing the same.
Meanwhile, the deflated job market appears to be getting a lift from companies that are either growing or setting up shop in South Florida for the first time.
City Furniture of Tamarac, which operates more than 30 showrooms in South and Central Florida, is looking for three dozen people including delivery drivers, salespeople, software developers and data engineers. The pay ranges from $40,000 to six figures, depending on the job, salary and commission arrangements.
Katie Gottlieb, the company’s recruiting director, said a number of applicants are from hotels, restaurants, higher end retailers and other businesses smacked down by the pandemic. “We’ve seen people do career transitions which work really well in our business,” she said. “We’re looking for people who want to grow with us.”
A Colorado-based national chain of massage studios called Elements Massage has landed In Palm Beach Gardens with plans to open 30 locations around South Florida. The latest entry will make five in the region.
Driven by the pandemic, brothers Jeffrey and Allan Chabon say they acquired a franchise in Florida, where there is no state income tax but plenty of prospects. “People are stressed,” Jeffrey Chabon said. They’ve hired four therapists and are looking to add more.