Is Florida’s unemployment system broken by design?

We live in an age of extraordinary economic uncertainty, and for many Floridians access to unemployment benefits has become a lifeline. But for those who have tried to navigate Florida’s digital unemployment system, the process often feels like a locked door.

As someone who has earned two masters degrees, including a doctoral degree and two masters (UX) accreditations, I had expected there to be no problems navigating these sites. Instead, I was left uneasy about how confused, outdated and inaccessible the process. If I struggle to understand that, what hope is there for people with fewer digital skills, less time, or limited access to technology?

Two portals equal confusion

Florida’s digital unemployment system is split into two major sites. That is, we are hiring Florida, where people apply and manage benefits, connecting job seekers to employment and training resources. On paper, this department may make sense. In reality, it’s a failure in the user experience.

Connect, the official website that claims unemployment, is essentially a contextless login screen. New users don’t have any clear indications about text walls, broken links, and what the site is actually doing or how to get started. The interface is not mobile-friendly, does not have basic accessibility features, and does not provide onboarding or guidance to first-time users.

Meanwhile, use Florida to fill the essential tools in the sea of ​​links. The homepage is overwhelming and has a lot of textbooks, making it difficult for users to find what they need, especially those that are stressed or lack high literacy. Key features such as resume building and career services are hidden behind poor navigation with little visual hierarchy or consistency.

This is not just poor design. It’s about access. In Florida, maximum unemployment benefits are only $275 per week, closing at a total of $3,300. This is not enough to cover two months’ rent in states where the average monthly rent is currently above $1,300. But before people can access these limited funds, they face a confused and inaccessible digital system. For many people, the real obstacle is not eligibility. It’s simply created through an online application. If outdated policies meet a broken digital experience, thousands of people pass through the cracks and often give up before they get the support they desperately need.

The solution is not mystical. As a user experience strategist, I work with federal agencies and nonprofits to improve digital access for vulnerable groups. Florida’s system could improve dramatically with some core changes.

Streamline and Simplify: Users should be able to distinguish between applying for perks and finding work easily. Each site needs a clear homepage with plain language descriptions and task-based layouts.Improved accessibility: Meet federal accessibility standards with high contrast colors, readable fonts, ALT text and keyboard navigation.Added onboarding and guided help: Tooltips, FAQs, and visual progress bars help users feel confident and oriented.Mobile Design First: The majority of the population accesses these sites via smartphones. Now, that experience is at best.Testing with real users: These systems need not only be built to meet technical requirements, but also be tested and refined using feedback from the people who rely on the most.

Digital governments should make people’s lives easier and not difficult. We can’t ask people to navigate an outdated system and then shame them for not “working hard enough.” The website design is not neutral. It can be empowered or excluded.

Florida must do better not only in what it offers its residents, but in how it provides those services. An easy-to-use unemployment system is more than just a design. It is a moral obligation.

Leila Martini, DRPH, MLS, UXC and CKM are strategic content and knowledge management leaders with over 20 years of experience supporting digital transformation across public health, federal agencies and non-profit sectors. She specializes in user experiences, web content strategies, and designing scalable systems that make complex information accessible and practical.