Rick Scott's Let's Get Laid Off Plan

Gov. Rick Scott has been touting that his policies have created job growth. The reality is Scott's policies haven't been in effect long enough to make that assessment. What we do know his the latest Agency for Workforce Innovation unemployment numbers for June are 10.6 percent. Scott might want to rethink his message about the job market recovering. Florida has one fourth worst unemployment rate in the country.

One area where Scott's policies are taking effect is his layoffs of state workers. Scott is adding people to the unemployment rolls with the layoffs. Central Florida economist Sean Snaith said the private sector will not make up for the job losses.

"The private sector is being forced to swim against the rip current of government layoffs," Snaith said. "That's making the process of job creation in this economy even more difficult than it already was."

Scott laid off 1,295 Florida state employees in a job market that is not hiring. It will be harder for people to find work after Scott and the Florida legislature cut unemployment benefits. Scott and the Florida Chamber of Commerce believe that companies shouldn't pay corporate taxes. Both the Chamber and Scott actively sought to limit the weeks the unemployed can collect benefits. The Chamber lobbied Scott to not have companies pay for unemployment insurance. Employees would pay greater deductions out of the paychecks. Scott's policies are financially regressive to working Floridians.