JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The unemployment rate may seem insurmountable, but those who help connect people with jobs on the First Coast have an important message.
At CareerSource Northeast Florida the spokesperson says 2,500 jobs are available right now.
"This is not like 2008 when there were no jobs out there during the financial crisis," said Spokesperson Ron Whittington. "(There are) a lot more jobs in delivery now a lot more jobs online in online ordering."
The most recent government report shows more than one million Americans applied for unemployment benefits in one week. In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis waived the requirement that you must be looking for a job in order to receive unemployment benefits, but that waiver expires Saturday.
Because of the waiver, CareerSource has not been flooded with people on the job hunt, but Whittington says that could change. The waiver could be extended.
"That waiver expires on Sept. 5, so we're not sure exactly what we're gonna see starting next week, if we'll see an influx of people," he said.
Many people who come in looking for a job nowadays are furloughed, laid off or tired of being on unemployment. Jessica Willis hasn't been able to get that far.
"(It's been) one runaround after another and it's getting very difficult," Willis said about trying to get unemployment benefits. "I get a response back from unemployment saying I didn't make enough money last year to file, then they tell me, 'oh try to apply again, try to apply again.'''
After applying multiple times, Willis was deemed ineligible for unemployment benefits.
"We do whatever side jobs we possibly can," she said. "My family's been helping out tremendously. I thank them so much. I wouldn't have been able to get by if it wasn't for them."
Willis' family stepped in, helping pay rent for her birthday last month. Another place she's turned to for help is CareerSource.
"There are still sectors of the economy that are hiring and there are still jobs out there for people that are looking for work," Whittington said.
See who's hiring on the First Coast in the "Now Hiring" series stories posted below.