Florida reliant on tourism for pandemic economic recovery, but numbers remain bleak

Published: August 14th, 2020 | Tampa News Channel 8

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Fewer Floridians filed for unemployment last week than any other week since mid-March, a possible signal that the worst of the unemployment crisis may be behind us. However, unemployment data released weekly by the US Department of Labor also shows the the Sunshine State continues to suffer one of the slowest pandemic economic recoveries.

While part of that can be attributed to Florida’s near-record low unemployment prior to the pandemic, much of the delayed recovery is tied to tourism, the lifeblood of Florida’s economy and the industry hardest hit by COVID-19.

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