South Florida layoffs surged in the first half of 2025, affecting more than 3,800 workers across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.
Data from the Florida Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notice (WARN) Act shows a 120% increase in layoffs compared to about 1,700 reported in the first six months of 2024.
Among the biggest labor reductions,
Mandarin Oriental Miami: 430 permanent layoffs as part of a $1 billion redevelopment project. Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne: 425 temporary layoffs related to $100 million renovations. SLS South Beach: 200 workers have been fired. Royal Palm South Beach: More than 100 workers have been fired.
Brian Katsinger, professor of economics at Florida Atlantic University, told the South Florida Business Journal that the seasonal nature of the hospitality sector often leads to temporary unemployment during the later summer months, especially when tourists return north, particularly in winter. “From November to April, economic activity is rising here,” Cutsinger said. “We can expect a temporary increase in layoffs as it gets hot and snowbirds return north.”
In addition to seasonal factors, other layoffs were attributed to reduced nonprofit budgets and expiration of large contracts. For example, Lewis Tree, the prime contractor of Florida Power & Wright, fired the worker after the contract ended. Cutsinger noted that these layoffs could be temporary if new contractors choose to rehire the same employees.
Despite the rise in warning notifications, the South Florida job market remains relatively strong compared to state and national trends. In June, Miami-Dade County reported an unemployment rate of 2.4% down from 2.6% the previous year. Broward County’s rate rose from 3.4% to just 3.7%, while Palm Beach County rose from 3.6% to 3.9%.
Florida’s unemployment rate has been stable at 3.7% statewide for the third consecutive month. Nationally, the US unemployment rate was 4.1% in June, but not a slight decline from 4.2% in May from a year ago.
Cutsinger emphasized that although layoffs are increasing in certain sectors, overall employment situation has not changed dramatically. “The increase in unemployment observed in the state report is likely too small to have a significant impact on the total unemployment rate,” he said.
He also noted that nonprofits are particularly sensitive to funding changes. “The demand for services offered by nonprofits is partially determined by the amounts that donors are willing to allocate,” he said. “That change can lead to changes in demand.”
Throughout the industry, labor is often adjusted by the first local enterprise in response to economic pressures. “They probably aren’t going to sell the factory,” Katsinger said. “What do they control? The amount of labor they employ.”
