What Spirit’s Florida workers should know if they seek unemployment benefits

The sudden layoff of nearly 5,000 employees from Spirit Airlines in Florida is sending a new wave of workers into the state’s unemployment system — one that has long drawn criticism for being difficult to navigate and slow to deliver aid.

For many of the South Florida workers affected, the immediate question is simple: How quickly can they expect help?

The answer is complicated.

Florida’s program, called Reemployment Assistance, provides temporary income to workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their own. Most of the affected airline employees are likely to meet that baseline eligibility requirement, assuming they earned sufficient wages and are able and available to work.

Florida caps weekly unemployment payments at $275, among the lowest maximums in the country. The duration of benefits is also limited, typically up to 12 weeks, depending on statewide economic conditions. Most states offer 20 to 26 weeks of support.

In a region like South Florida, where housing and living costs have risen sharply in recent years, the state’s relatively low level of support may cover only a fraction of laid-off workers’ monthly expenses. According to a notice Spirit filed Monday with the state, more than 3,300 people lost their jobs in Broward and Miami-Dade counties when the airline went under.

Workers must apply through the state’s online CONNECT system, which handles claims, identity verification, and payment requests. After filing, there is generally a one-week waiting period before benefits begin accruing. Payments are not immediate; processing times can vary depending on claim volume and whether additional verification is required.

To continue receiving aid, claimants must log into the system every two weeks to request benefits and document job search activities. For counties with populations exceeding 75,000 people — like Broward and Miami-Dade — recipients must contact at least five prospective employers per week.

Failure to meet these requirements can delay or disqualify payments. According to the Florida Department of Commerce, recipients of unemployment benefits must submit the following job search information items to the state program:

• The date of each contact

• The name of the contact (a prospective employer, an agency, a website, etc.)

• The method of contact (in person, online, phone, etc.)

• The telephone number, website name (URL), physical address or email address

• The type of work you were looking for

• The result of each contact

Concerns about delays and system capacity are not new — and could be magnified by a sudden influx of claims.

State Rep. Anna Eskamani, an Orlando Democrat who has closely monitored the program, said the system remains difficult to navigate even under normal conditions.

“The simple answer is no,” Eskamani said when asked if the state can handle a rush of new applicants. “We have been dealing with delays in the unemployment system since before the pandemic. And after the pandemic, no clear improvements have been made. … Even just on an average Florida day, people are waiting weeks to get a response back.”

Eskamani said applicants can face delays at multiple stages of the process, from initial approval to identity verification and employer records. “We have seen this past year a week to get even an acknowledgement that you’re approved,” she said. “If there’s any question about your identity or employment history, that’s a delay. If your employer didn’t provide accurate information to the agency, that’s a delay.”

Even when claimants follow every step correctly, she said, bureaucratic hurdles can still slow payments. “You could be doing everything right and still have delays because of some bureaucratic issue,” she said, adding that anti-fraud measures have created barriers to accessing benefits.

Her No. 1 piece of advice to newly laid-off workers: “Make your CONNECT account ASAP.”

Avery Phillips, a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Commerce, said Florida “has one of the healthiest unemployment... trust fund balances in the nation,” and can handle any rush on the system. “We do not have any financial concerns about financial bandwidth.”

She said the state has created “a dedicated helpline for Spirit Airlines employees in Florida affected by this layoff.” Workers can call 1-800-385-3920 for help filing a claim. Laid-off workers may also seek assistance through regional workforce boards, such as CareerSource South Florida and CareerSource Broward, which provide job placement services, resume support, and access to training programs. These services are free and are often recommended for workers looking to transition industries or update skills.

“It’s important to understand that our main focus is getting these affected Floridians back into a job — the sooner we help the displaced Spirit Airlines employees get a meaningful job, the sooner they get back on their feet,” Phillips wrote in an email. “That’s the ultimate goal here.”

In some cases, large layoffs can qualify for additional federal support, such as extended benefits or retraining assistance, but those programs depend on specific federal designations and economic conditions. As of now, standard state benefits are the primary safety net available.

More information on eligibility and applications is available through the Florida Department of Commerce’s Reemployment Assistance program website. The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA is also providing updates and resources to laid-off Spirit employees on its website.

This article has been updated to include comments from the Florida Department of Commerce.

This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 5:07 PM.