Trujillo, a single mother, said she was forced to apply for unemployment insurance benefits last month. This resulted in a record-high unemployment rate of 14.7%, but the jobless rate for women rose to 15.5%. They can’t rejoin the labor force.”Rep. Vance Aloupis, who is the chief executive officer of The Children’s Movement of Florida, a Miami-based nonprofit organization, agrees with Swonk. Camacho said the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe is tasked with helping families to find childcare services. And while Florida’s unemployment claims office continues to be overwhelmed, Trujillo is hopeful that the government assistance and access to childcare services will help her to get back on her feet soon.

MIAMI – In the Miami-Dade County’s cities of Hialeah and Miami, the coronavirus pandemic didn’t just bring terror about dying of the contagious respiratory illness. WalletHub’s recent analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ data for 180 cities shows Hialeah is the city with the highest January vs. March growth in unemployment in the nation. Hialeah and Miami are also the cities with the highest number of confirmed coronavirus infections in the state, according to the Florida Department of Health. The two cities’ cases make up 74% of the coronavirus cases in Miami-Dade County. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 7,490 coronavirus cases in Miami, 1,475 cases in Hialeah and 12,063, Florida’s DOH reported on Thursday.

More than 1,000 drivers picked up free Farm Share groceries on Monday morning at Dolphin Mall in Miami-Dade County. Florida House Rep. Ana Maria Rodriguez, of Doral, was among the dozens of volunteers at the drive-through food distribution event at the city of Sweetwater. Sweetwater Police Department Chief Placido Diaz said many of the drivers started to line up on Monday night. Miami-Dade County Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz has been volunteering at food distribution events for weeks. For more information about how to help sponsor a Farm Share food load, view this page.

PLANTATION, Fla. – Judi Hamelburg, of North Miami Beach, is among the many jobless Floridians who are running out of cash during the coronavirus pandemic. COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the new coronavirus, has killed 987 people in Florida. According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s latest data, more than 505,000 Floridians filed claims for unemployment insurance benefits last week. Florida Unemployment (Florida Unemployment)The data doesn’t reflect the reality in Miami-Dade County where many service workers are undocumented. As the delays in payments continue, the lines at free food distribution centers keep growing in South Florida.

HIALEAH GARDENS, Fla. – Drivers in need during the coronavirus pandemic started to arrive at about 2 a.m. on Wednesday to Hialeah Gardens High School. Within a few hours, an L-shaped line of cars curved from Hialeah Gardens Boulevard and stretched on Okeechobee Road. A Farm Share truck arrives early Wednesday morning to Hialeah Gardens from the non-profit organization's warehouse in Homestead. We opened a compassionate call center in our city, so Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., we have phone lines going, if residents need anything." Sunrise residents can call 954-746-3670 or email CompassionOfficer@sunrisefl.gov for more information.

Ron DeSantis said Florida has issued 121,000 payments to people who filed for unemployment insurance benefits. DeSantis also said Florida has also issued 23,000 payments to people who are unemployed and qualified for the federal supplement checks. Florida’s benefit is $275 a week and the federal benefit is $600 a week. “We need to get people paid,” DeSantis said. DeSantis also issued an executive order to avoid forcing people who receive the unemployment insurance benefit to file bi-weekly updates on their employment status.

Ron DeSantis said Monday the system to help workers who have lost their jobs because of the coronavirus pandemic can now manage 120,000 simultaneous connections. While about 326,000 workers applied for unemployment benefits in Florida during 2019, more than 520,000 have applied since March 15 despite the system’s limitations. The department will also be receiving help from about 2,000 state employees from other agencies. If you are not a U.S. citizen, you will need work authorizationA record of your past 18 months of employment including the name of the employer, the reason for separation, earnings and dates of employment. Military employees need a DD-214 member 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 and federal government employees need a SF 8 or SF 50.

Ferrell has been trying to apply for unemployment insurance benefits, but the state doesn’t have the capability to process his application. “Due to Covid-19, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity is currently experiencing higher than average wait times,” Ferrell said, adding that he hasn’t been able to talk to anyone. But The Tampa Bay Times reported state auditors had warned him last year that the website was still suffering major problems. Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez, a Democrat, said every time he and others have tried to make improvements to the unemployment insurance benefits, Republicans have resisted. Florida is among the eight states in the country that offer less time in unemployment benefits.

MIAMI – Florida is among the eight states in the country that offer less than 26 weeks of unemployment insurance benefits. The others are South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Kansas, Missouri, Idaho and Arkansas. Florida only provides 12 weeks of unemployment insurance benefits. The standard maximum for most states is 26 weeks. If after 12 weeks, the applicant remains unemployed, the new emergency federal aid package will fund up to 13 weeks of additional unemployment benefits at a weekly rate of $600.

But despite the suffering, the benefits that the state is supposed to pay workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own remained out of reach for many. Paulina, who asked to not be identified by last name, said she has been trying to file for unemployment for the last two weeks. Ron DeSantis asked Floridians for patience on Monday. The $2 trillion federal aid package is supposed to help the unemployed, including gig workers, with $875 a week for 13 weeks. ALSO SEE: How to file for unemployment benefits during coronavirus pandemic

While there are state and federal measures coming to help those impacted financially, in the more immediate future people can file for unemployment benefits. Persons who were furloughed or laid off due to COVID-19 should file for these benefits as soon as possible. The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity released information about filing for reemployment benefits amid the pandemic. Who qualifies due to coronavirus, according to Florida Department of Economic Opportunity:People who were ordered to quarantine by a medical professional or a government agency. Here are the steps to file for reemployment benefits and what you will need:Visit www.floridajobs.org to submit your application on the CONNECT platform here.