News Florida is scrambling to try and fix its broken unemployment system, but it will not be cheap nor does it appear timely. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida is scrambling to try and fix its broken unemployment system, but it will not be cheap nor does it appear timely. State contracts show it will cost taxpayers more than $100 million, and we’re learning it could be weeks yet before most laid-off workers get a check. The state contracts show Florida has hired three companies to help process claims. One contract alone reveals the state is spending $79 million with TelaForce, LLC in Walton Beach to help the state process more than 560,000 unemployment claims. Thousands of laid-off workers continue to try and process their claims amid a fury of website crashes and bogged down system. “This week we had a total of 225,755 initial claims that have been filed. Obviously, those have to be processed,” DeSantis said on Friday. The governor would not say how long it would take. Two additional contracts for a combined $30 million will obtain the help of about 500 call takers to help assist a growing number of laid-off workers. “They may be trying not to alarm the people but I think at this point, we’re well beyond that,” said FGCU Economist Tom Smythe. The FGCU economic professor predicting more than 10 percent of Southwest Floridas workers could actually be laid off. “We could be beyond that number simply because of the impact on the hospitality and tourism industry,” Professor Smythe said. A new mobile-friendly website was created this week to help people filed however many said they trusted a paper claim instead. “Almost 12,00 applications received by paper. Federal Express was kind enough to offer their stores where people could drop off applications. They’re […]
