Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), used Labor Day to remind Americans of the steps taken by the Sunshine State to safeguard “the right for Floridians [to earn a living]” during the Chinese coronavirus outbreak. This is continuing to pay dividends for the state as well as its residents.
Florida was one of the first states to put emphasis on getting Americans back to work in the wake of the pandemic. While other states were still locked down, it prevented what the government called “nonessential” workers earning a living. Mass protests were triggered in several states, including Pennsylvania, by the lockdowns. Residents protested Governor. “Commie Tommy” Wolf (D).
But Florida opened its state again early, surprising critics. Florida reported fewer coronavirus cases per capita than the blue states that were locked down for months. The Sunshine State continues to reap the benefits, with the unemployment rate dropping to an all-time low in July.
Florida’s unemployment rate fell to 2.7% in July, the lowest level since February 2020 when the Chinese coronavirus pandemic began. According to the governor’s office the state has reached this low only three times since 1976, when Florida started recording unemployment data.
The current rate is 0.1 percent lower than the June rate. However, Florida’s unemployment rates are 0.8 percent less than the national rate and have been this way since December 2020. The country’s unemployment rate has also been outpaced by Florida’s growth in labor force, which grew by 0.2 percent in the past month, as opposed to the national loss of 0.1 percent.
The governor’s office also noted that Florida’s labor force increased by 291,000 (or 2.8%) between July 2021, and July 2022.
