TALLAHASSEE, FL—Chairwoman of the Democratic Party Nikki Fried torched Governor Ron DeSantis' praise of Florida's low unemployment rate, urging the Governor to not "take credit" for the achievement and to refocus on lowering inflation-spiked costs.
"Instead of trying to take credit for our country’s low unemployment, the Governor should focus on finding long-term solutions to our property insurance crisis and delivering a healthcare agenda that brings down costs for Floridians,” Fried said in a statement given to The Floridian.
Fried referenced property insurance premiums spiking by double-digits in 2023, and healthcare premiums rising by 5%-20%. Florida has the highest average premium for family health insurance coverage through an employer and the second-highest average premium for plus-one health insurance coverage through an employer.
Her comments follow DeSantis' announcement this morning that Florida's unemployment rate has been lower than the national rate for 40 consecutive months.
“Florida continues to outperform the nation,” Governor Ron DeSantis said.“We have proven that bold, conservative leadership across the board produces booming economic results—more jobs, lower taxes, less regulation, and fiscal security.”
In February, the national unemployment rate stood at 3.9 percent, with Florida standing at 3.1 percent. Outperforming the nation by 0.8 percentage points, Florida has the 16th lowest unemployment rate in the nation.
In a similar trend, the nation's private sector job growth rate increased by 1.6 percent compared to Florida's 2.3 percent—or 194,200 more jobs.
Fried disagreed, stating that Florida's economy has always been a trailblazer for the nation. "As a tourism and relocation destination, Florida has always been a bellwether for the economy. However, Florida has been largely left out of President Biden’s economic recovery and remains the most unaffordable state in the country with inflation over double the national average."
Inflation rates have risen across the country, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting that prices in the Southeast have risen 3.7 % in the past year, and 0.9% in February alone. In Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach, prices have risen 4.9%, resulting in a 1.4% inflation increase.
