While Florida boasts one of the lowest unemployment rates compared to only a dozen other states, it seems that the issues with the state’s online unemployment claims system have not entirely disappeared. The memory of over a million unemployed Floridians struggling with a glitchy and unreliable benefits claims system during the height of the COVID-19 emergency may have faded, thanks to improved unemployment numbers.

However, recent data suggests that the benefit claims system is still causing headaches for many. According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s statistics for the last quarter, 38 states managed to get unemployment benefits into the hands of claimants faster than Florida did, despite having lower unemployment rates.

Nonetheless, it’s worth noting that Florida’s performance has improved since the second quarter of 2020 when it was criticized for being one of the slowest states in processing unemployment claims, especially when over 1.5 million Floridians needed assistance.

Sean Snaith, Director of the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Economic Forecasting, explained that Florida’s struggles during the pandemic were somewhat expected, given the state’s heavy reliance on tourism. The sudden shutdowns of theme parks, restaurants, and bars led to a surge in unemployment claims that is unlikely to repeat.

Back in 2021, the situation was dire enough that the state allocated resources to address the online unemployment benefits system’s issues. The Department of Economic Opportunity requested $244 million to fix the system over five years, with $56.6 million allocated in the 2021-22 spending plan.

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott clarified that the state administration was not responsible for choosing the vendor that built the online system and that it was not designed to discourage Floridians from claiming the insurance they had paid into.

However, Gov. Ron DeSantis hinted that the online system’s delays might have been intentional, raising questions about its functionality.

The Department of Economic Opportunity, now known as the Department of Commerce, has not provided specific updates on the progress of the upgrade despite inquiries.

While unemployment numbers have significantly decreased since the pandemic’s peak, many are still frustrated by problems with ID verification, PIN issues, and lengthy approval delays in the online claims process.

These ongoing issues suggest that Florida’s unemployment benefits system may still require improvement, despite the state’s relatively low unemployment rate.