Florida could see increase in people switching jobs

Florida could see a surge in people leaving their jobs, according to a new report from localization management platform Centus.

The study analyzed Google keyword searches per 100,000 people and found Florida came in third for the most searches related to finding a job.

Those keywords included phrases like ‘Glassdoor,’ ‘ZipRecruiter,’ ‘Indeed Jobs,’ and ‘Job near me.’

While Georgia ranked first with 4,272 average monthly searches for keywords related to job hunting per 100,000 people, Delaware came in second at 3,561.

Florida was not far behind the top two states, however, with 3,546 searches per 100,000 people.

Altogether, the Sunshine State saw 234,583 searches for “Indeed Jobs”, 117,000 for “Jobs hiring near me”, and 14,458 for “Online jobs”.

“With these states potentially being home to the most active job seekers, this study may offer a key insight into labor market dynamics where Georgia, Delaware and Florida may be experiencing economic challenges or an increase in job openings,” Henry Simmons, CEO of Centus, said in the report.

Kevin Thompson, a finance expert and the founder and CEO of 9i Capital Group, said the surge in job searches is likely linked to Florida’s continued population growth paired with substantial increases in service sector jobs.

“The service economy has very low retention and high quit rates which has people going from one job to another,” Thompson told Newsweek. “It reflects the short-term nature around employment in this new age of work.”

In looking for a new job, the pay is likely what will get an employee to leave one company for another, he added.

“The findings suggest people are more willing to search for better opportunities which means employees will always be looking for higher pay,” Thompson said. “Employers will have to pay up for good workers or sustain long periods of understaffing.”

While Florida has a generally low unemployment rate of 3.3 percent, HR consultant Bryan Driscoll said that doesn’t show the full story, and many are looking for better opportunities as the cost of living skyrockets.

“The Florida job search numbers scream to me a loud and clear message that workers are fed up,” Driscoll told Newsweek. “People don’t usually just casually browse job boards like they do Amazon. These workers are desperate to escape low-paying, dead-end jobs that don’t provide basic security.”

While Florida has a high number of jobs available, especially in tourism and hospitality, many do not offer livable wages or upward mobility, he added.

“Workers are tired of jobs that don’t work for them,” Driscoll said. “They’re searching for flexibility, better pay, and some dignity. Employers cannot continue to exploit workers with low wages and lackluster benefits.”

Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, said Florida residents have been hit especially hard financially due to the surge of people who moved to the state during the pandemic.

“Housing costs, including insurance on properties, have seen dramatic increases, as have everything from vehicles to everyday household items,” Beene told Newsweek.

“The result is more Floridians feeling their wages stretched further and further. When people are searching for new work, it’s usually more than one factor, but the odds are for most currently searching online for new opportunities, at the top of the list of reasons is needing to increase their income to compensate for increased living costs.”