Latest on the unemployment crisis in Florida

Latest on the unemployment crisis in Florida

After images of thousands risking their health to get a paper unemployment form in South Florida surfaced, the Department of Economic Opportunity has launched a new website for applications.

That announcement comes as the government is set to report another shocking level of unemployment claims Thursday.

BE NEEDED THROUGH AUGUST... FORTHOSE LOWER NUMBERS TO BECOMREALITY.AFTER IMAGES LIKE THIS OFTHOUSANDS RISKING THEIR HEALTHTO GET A PAPER APPLICATION OFTHE UNEMPLOYMENT FORM...THE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICOPPORTUNITY HAS LAUNCHED A NEWWEBSITE FOR APPLICATIONS.JESSICA ALPERN HAS BEEFOLLOWING THIS STORY CLOSELY,SHE HAS THE NEWEST DETAILS THISMORNING.THAT ANNOUNCEMENT COMES AS THEGOVERNMENT IS SET TO REPORANOTHER *SHOCKING LEVEL OFUNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS TODAY.VOTHE REPORT COULD HIT 7-MILLIONOR HIGHER.AND THAT’S ON TOP OF THE TMILLION AMERICANS WE ALREADYKNOW HAVE FILED FOR UNEMPLOYMENTIN RECENT WEEKS...AS THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMCONTINUES.FILING HAS BEEN A NIGHTMARE FORMANY FLORIDIANS.FROM LONG CALL WAIT TIMES, TOERROR MESSAGES ON THE FLORIDADEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICOPPORTUNITY SITE.BUT NOW, THE HOPE IS THAT ANEWLY LAUNCHED SITE WILL SPEEDUP THE PROCESS.FLORIDIANS WHO DO NOT HAVE ACURRENT CLAIM OPEN... CAN APPLYONLINE, AND EVEN ON THEIRPHONE... AT THE LINK YOU SEE ONYOUR SCREEN.SOTVWhile I know everyone wasextremely frustrated, that thesystem was not able to handlethe many many claims, that wehad - it was an unprecedentedamount of claims. But, what thegood news is, is that we weable to quickly fix it.FOR MANY -- THAT HELP DID NOTCOME SOON ENOUGHINCLUDING THE THOUSANDS OFPEOPLE IN SOUTH FLORIDA WHORISKED THEIR HEALTH THIS WEEK...IGNORING ORDERS TO SOCIALDISTANCE... ALL TO TRY AND GETTHEIR HANDS ON A PAPER COPY OFTHE APPLICATION.