Gov. Ron DeSantis addressed some of the workforce issues he has seen across the state.
He said many businesses are not able to bring staff back on the payrolls.
“Particularly for small businesses, people are excited about Florida, the fact that we led the way in being open and getting kids back in school and we are doing well,” DeSantis said. “You have this situation where restaurants would have to close for a day because they are short staff or have to reduce hours.”
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“Now hiring” signs are posted from big companies along International Drive in Orlando, the signs can also be spotted at small businesses in Mount Dora.
“Everyone in town is struggling,” the owner of the Magical Meat Boutique in Mount Dora Phil Barnard said. “We had an opening day a few weeks ago and not a single person came.”
Barnard said they are now making adjustments at his restaurant.
“We are closing earlier, we are opening later,” he said. “Limiting our menu, rolling out a new one this weekend for a few fewer items purely to cut down on prep time.”
The restaurant has not had a dishwasher for four weeks.
“I was the dishwasher,” Barnard said.
DeSantis said they are working on helping the issue, though no word if or when changes could be coming to the unemployment soon.
“Here’s what I would do, if you are going to do the federal money on top of the state, I would rather apply that as a reemployment assistance, assistance for getting employed again,” he said.
It’s something states like Montana, South Carolina, Mississippi and Arkansas have already done.
“We are going to work on that,” DeSantis said.