Charlotte County Sheriff to discuss deputy-involved shooting on Eager Road
Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell is set to hold a news conference regarding a deputy-involved shooting on Eager Road.
The clock is ticking for anyone collecting unemployment: soon you’ll be required to search for work to keep your benefits.
And while businesses say they’re struggling to hire because no one wants to work, in reality, unemployed people say the job market isn’t as great as it seems. Many people say it’s a lose-lose situation.
Dani Henkel of Fort Myers got laid off from her marketing job right at the start of the pandemic.
“When businesses were in panic mode, looking for things to cut, one of the first logical things that they found were the people who were spending money,” Henkel said.
Like many people on unemployment, she has looked for work ever since, but without much success.
“It’s incredibly disheartening to see that 100 plus or 500 plus other people have all applied for the same position,” Henkel said.
Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Secretary Dane Eagle said there are at least 450,000 job listings online right now.
“There’s a lot of employment opportunities, we hear a lot of employers out there looking for assistance,” Eagle said. “We want people who are on unemployment, feel safe to get back out there, know where jobs are available.”
But not everyone is willing to take just any kind of work for a lot of reasons.
“I could easily go out and find some minimum wage job right now, but that’s not going to cover my bills,” Henkel said.
“Do you think when people say, ‘No one wants to work right now they’re just living off of unemployment benefits?’”
“I think that is incredibly narrow-minded,” Henkel said.
In a normal year, unemployed people have to fill out job searches on the CONNECT website in order to collect benefits.
It’s required by Florida law, but Governor Ron Desantis temporarily waived that rule last year when the pandemic started.
Now it’s coming back after May 29.
After a long year of technical issues, some think the hundreds of thousands of people spending extra time on the website could cause it to crash.
“The website will definitely go back to being slow again,” Henkel said.
Eagle says it shouldn’t.
“They’re already required to go in every two weeks and file their claims,” Eagle said. “And even though the job search requirements have been waived, those boxes were still there to be populated. So I don’t think there should be an issue.”
Depending on where you live, unemployed people will have to start job training with CareSource or submit 3-5 job searches a week.
Henkel says it’s about more than a paycheck.
“We’ve got zero benefits, we’re going to work you to the bone and you’ll never know what your schedule is going to be. Oh, no, why does no one want to work?’” Henkel said. “Well, it’s not that no one wants to work. It’s that no one wants to work for you.”
Plus she wants to find something for the long-term, using her marketing experience and degree.
“I could go and look at starting in a different field,” Henkel said. “But now, I’m still going to be going up against the people that do have experience in that field.”
With the extra $300 in federal benefits ending in June, she feels like there’s just no winning.
“It’s honestly terrifying, that at any moment, everything could come crumbling down around me,” Henkel said.
If you’re in this position — you need to make sure you’re registered with employ Florida by next week and prepared to fill out those work searches.
I’ve laid out all the requirements and exceptions — and where to look for work in Southwest Florida — under this story on the wink news app.
Instructions for work search, including requirements and exceptions HERE.
Find job openings in Southwest Florida: careersourcesouthwestflorida.com
From DEO:
Return to Work Initiative
Waivers
Job Opportunities