Florida Chamber: State hiking unemployment taxes
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. โ The Florida Chamber of Commerce says it has been told by the state that unemployment taxes will go up next year by almost 200 percent, but so far the state is mum on the increase. On March 1, Floridaโs trust fund for paying unemployment claims sat at just over $4 billion. To replenish the fund, Carolyn Johnson, the director of business, economic development & innovation policy at the Florida Chamber, said the state has indicated minimum rates will increase by almost 200 percent. โIf youโre an employer with 100 employees, youโre seeing a $1,300 tax increase that you might not have expected coming Jan. 1,โ Johnson said. The Chamber said layoffs made because of the pandemic will not count against an employersโ records because an executive order exempted them.