Florida sees drop in people quitting jobs as “genuine fear” takes hold

Despite Florida seeing a spike in resignations from June to July, the state has seen a larger drop in workers quitting from the first half of 2023 to 2024.

In June, 205,000 people in the state quit their jobs, followed by 268,000 in July, a 0.6 percent increase month to month and the highest jump even among the most populous states, like New York, Texas and California.

But from mid-2023 to mid-2024, there’s been a substantial decline in employees quitting their workforce positions in the Sunshine State.

While roughly 1,984,000 people quit their jobs in Florida by July of last year, only 1,813,000 employees had done the same from January 2024 to July 2024, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Human resources (HR) experts have attributed the general rates of resignations in the state to employees being fed up with the lack of flexibility, low pay and worker protections they have in their roles as well as the job market allowing them to find something better.

“Employees are dissatisfied with the current state of overwork and a lack of worker protections, which in Florida seem to somehow be providing even fewer protections,” HR consultant Bryan Driscoll previously told Newsweek.

“Compared to states like California or New York or Illinois, where stronger labor protections and benefits are in place, Florida’s workforce faces fewer protections, which can make the job market feel unforgiving,” he said.

But amid the larger drop of Florida workers quitting, the high cost of living in the state may be preventing workers from leaving companies even when they want out.

“Simply put, everyday expenses are too high for most to even consider leaving their current job,” Alex Beene, financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek.

“Florida has been one of the hardest hit by rising costs, and when you have everything from rent to insurance prices to everyday items excelling in price, you have a scenario where many are just not going to be willing to abandon their positions.”

Beene said there is a “genuine fear” that with some employers scaling back, they may not be able to find work as readily as they did just a few years ago during the pandemic era.

The pandemic ushered in an era of remote work and saw employees more likely to demand flexibility and higher pay from their jobs. But that momentum has slowed in the years after COVID-19.

“The drop in the number of people quitting jobs in Florida is a sign of workers hunkering down,” Driscoll said. “Everyone is trying to read the tea leaves and, while the job market is still strong, it might not be as hot as last year. When you’re unsure if the grass is actually greener, staying can be the safer bet.”

In July, the Department of Labor reported 114,000 new jobs nationally, but that was a significant decline from the 179,000 jobs posted in June.

And in August, the unemployment rate reached 4.2 percent.

While in the pandemic, employees had leverage to get their preferred job type and flexibility, but that power has gradually reverted to employers, said Kevin Thompson, finance expert and founder/CEO of 9i Capital Group.

“Now the leverage has slowly shifted back to employers as the tightness in labor supply has opened up a bit,” Thompson told Newsweek. “The supply of labor is increasing as can be seen by the small tick up in unemployment, and people are holding onto their jobs much longer.”

In Florida and across the United States, Driscoll said employees are holding onto their jobs out of necessity.

“The mass resignations over the last few years are fueled by long-standing issues like low wages, poor benefits, and a lack of work-life balance,” Driscoll said. “Those issues haven’t magically disappeared.”

Instead, the declining resignations reflect the economy, Driscoll added. “The cost of living keeps rising, wages aren’t keeping up, and workers are stuck in the middle. Florida might be seeing fewer quits, but that doesn’t mean everything is fine. Workers are still squeezed. They’re just a little more cautious about jumping ship.”