The Governor suggested undocumented immigrants are taking teenagers’ jobs.
Florida’s Governor says jobs for immigrants come at the expense of gainful employment for native born youth.
“What’s wrong with expecting our young people to be working part time now? That’s how it used to be when I was growing up,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said during a discussion at New College.
“Why do we say we need to import foreigners, even import an illegal, when, you know, teenagers used to work at these resorts? College students should be (doing) all this stuff. It’s like you go $30, $40,000 in debt to just take loans, you’re not expected to work at all. So I think the priorities have been jumbled.”
The Governor didn’t clarify what jobs beyond resort work that he wanted Florida youth to do.
Roughly 37% of Floridians aged 16-19 have jobs. The labor participation rate is higher for those under the age of 25; 61.2% of men and 59.6% of women work.
Legislation approved last year (HB 49) actually made it easier for young people to work. Workers under the age of 15 can work 15 hours a week when school isn’t in session. And 16- and 17-year-old workers can work after 11 p.m. for more than 30 hours in one week when school is in session, and for more than six days in a row in a given week.
Rules could relax further this year.
A bill from Sen. Jay Collins (SB 918) would let older teenagers work the third shift: before 6:30 a.m. and after 11 p.m. on school nights. Younger teenagers could work more if they had GEDs, were homeschooled, or graduated high school.
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