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How some Florida workers are making more with unemployment

The average restaurant worker could make $300 or more collecting unemployment right now than by collecting a paycheck.
Credit: 10 Tampa Bay

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A new study shows 68 percent of those who are out of work can collect more in unemployment benefits right now than they did when they were working. 

So how is that possible?

Let's take the average pay of a food prep worker or server. They make an average of $12.50 an hour, according to state data. If that employee worked 40 hours, that equates to $500 a week.

In Florida, the max unemployment payout is $275 a week. That's one of the lowest in the nation.

That worker would be eligible for less than the max payout, though, just receiving $231, according to a benefits calculator on FileUnemployment.org

Under the CARES Act, that same worker could get $600 per week in federal benefits. So if that worker was eligible, that's a total of $831 per week, which is more than what that food prep worker or server was making at their job.

RELATED: 2019 audit revealed major problems with Florida unemployment system

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