As Florida re-opens, governor DeSantis announced the government will soon require anyone receiving state benefits to show proof they are looking for work.
On Monday, the governor signed an executive order effectively "ending all local COVID lockdowns" in the state. As a result, economic prospects are expected to grow.
According to CBS Miami, May will be the last month Floridians can collect benefits without having to show they are actively searching for employment. Governor DeSantis had lifted the requirement when the pandemic began.
"Normally when you’re getting unemployment, the whole idea is that it’s temporary", DeSantis said in a press conference on Wednesday. "You need to be looking for work to be able to get off unemployment." As the The Tampa Bay Times reports, "Florida ... requires people on unemployment to reach out to five prospective employers each week."
He justified the suspension of the job-search requirement during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, but added that "... it’s pretty clear now — we have an abundance of job openings."
As The Daily Wire reports, in April 2020 Florida's unemployment rate was 13.8%, however in March 2021 that number had dropped to 4.7%, below the national average.
DeSantis also urged the federal government to re-open the cruise-ship industry, which plays an important role in Florida's prosperous tourism industry.