Unemployment: Florida workers lose reinstatement of jobless benefits as federal expiration looms
A Florida judge denied a motion to temporarily reinstate the extra $300 in weekly unemployment benefits that were terminated prematurely this summer. The loss comes as the federal unemployment programs are set to expire on September 6.
Workers in Florida alleged that the cancellation of the additional federal benefits went against state law, but the court ruled this week that the governor was within his authority to make the decision.
“This decision belongs solely to the state’s Chief Executive,” Judge Layne Smith wrote in the order. “Ultimately, Governor DeSantis’s strategy to promote reemployment by ending Florida’s participation in the FPUC program is a political issue that the voters can approve or reject at the ballot box.”
In all, 26 states have cut off some or all of the pandemic-era unemployment aid before the federal expiration to combat rising concerns over labor shortages. In response, workers in 15 states have filed lawsuits over the premature end to those benefits — with New Hampshire the latest this week.
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