Florida unemployment

The state Department of Economic Opportunity on Friday posted a 6.4 percent jobless rate for November, equal to a revised jobless mark for October. The unemployment rate in November 2019, before the pandemic hammered the economy, was 2.8 percent.

Some states carved out single-day poll workers from being denied unemployment benefits. Florida did not.

Lawmakers in Congress are debating a second COVID-19 relief bill, and with that, more funds for the Paycheck Protection Program. In Florida, small businesses have exhausted money from the program and are waiting for more aid.

The U.S. Department of Labor estimated Thursday that 35,960 initial unemployment claims were filed in Florida during the week that ended Oct. 17, down from 47,904 the prior week and 42,306 during the week that ended Oct. 3.

Meanwhile, the nationwide numbers declined by 9,000.

The “Get There” initiative launched by the Department of Education is designed to raise awareness about Career and Technical Education as an alternative to traditional college pathways.

Leisure and hospitality jobs are down 249,400 from a year ago, and money hotels received through the Paycheck Protection Program to keep workers employed for two months has run out.

However, jobless claims remain high across the state.

The state anticipates at least 11,000 layoffs will become permanent by the end of the year.

Among the topics were mail-in ballots and the latest on Florida's embattled unemployment system.

Florida’s unemployment rate increased to 11.3% in July, with the jobless ranks growing by 122,000 people, as the state continued trying to revitalize the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Congress is facing a deadline to extend unemployment benefits for people out of work due to the pandemic. Those payments have made a big impact in…