Unemployed and frustrated by the Florida website? There’s a new mobile-friendly option

Any furloughed, laid off or fired Floridian who hasn’t yet successfully applied for unemployment should now use this new website to sign up: www.FloridaJobs.org/RAApplication.

That’s the announcement Wednesday night from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, which operates the state’s broken unemployment system.

Unlike the old site, the new site is mobile-friendly, allowing people to apply on their Internet-connected phone or tablet. Early reviews show that applicants have not been met with the error messages and other glitches plaguing the old site.

The old site has been so crippled by the crush of people thrown out of work because of the novel coronavirus pandemic that the department has had to revert to paper applications this week.

The state also on Wednesday rolled out a mobile-friendly version of its coronavirus page, which has links to frequently asked questions and the paper applications. The new mobile-friendly site is www.FloridaJobs.org/COVID-19. Before applying for unemployment, state officials recommend you first gather the following information, so you’re not searching for it in the middle of the process:

▪ Social Security number

▪ Driver’s license or state ID number

Employment information for the last 18 months for each employer:

▪ Employer ID — FEIN number (this is found on your W2 or 1099 tax form), if available

▪ Employer name (name on pay stub), address, and phone number

▪ First and last day of work

▪ Gross earnings (before taxes are taken out) covering the last 18 months

▪ Reason for separation

Anyone who falls under one of the of the following categories should also gather the following information before applying:

▪ Not a U.S. citizen: Alien Registration Number or other work authorization form

▪ Military employee: Copy of your DD-214 Member 4; If you do not have the Member 4, then a copy of your Member 2-7 may be used

▪ Federal employee: SF-8 or SF-50

▪ Union member: Union name, hall number, and phone number

This story was originally published April 8, 2020 at 8:52 PM.