Work Keeps Us Busy. Food Stamps Keep Us Going: Why Florida’s largest employers and low-wage jobs rely on SNAP

In Florida and across the U.S., millions of full- and part-time workers at major companies need the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) just to feed their families. But public policy and corporate pay practices are rarely acknowledged.

In 2024 more than 41.7 million Americans—roughly 12.3% of the U.S. population—relied on SNAP to put food on the table. In Florida, the number hovered around 3 million–nearly 12.7–13% of Floridians. These aren’t mostly unemployed people looking for handouts. Many are working families, often employed by the country’s largest companies in sectors like retail, warehousing, logistics and fast food.

Federal research shows that large private employers such as Walmart and McDonald’s consistently rank among the biggest employers of SNAP-recipient workers in the states studied. A newer example: in Nevada in 2024, Amazon, ranked #1 employer of Medicaid recipients—mirror dynamics of low wages and public assistance. While Florida does not publish employer-specific SNAP/MEDicaid data, its job landscape — heavy in retail, food service and logistics — suggests the same pattern plays out here now.

“We give 40 million people food stamps because corporations refuse to pay a living wage.” — Florida commenter on Walmart employment & SNAP reliance

The business model is clear: employ large numbers of workers at $12–$16/hour or fewer hours than full-time, and count on public programs like SNAP and Medicaid to fill in the gap so families aren’t left destitute. From 2023 to 2025, $15/hour has been widely cited as a “living-wage” minimum—but even that may still leave working families eligible for SNAP when they have children or live in higher-cost areas.

Florida’s policy environment is especially interesting. Voters approved a path to a $15 minimum wage by 2026, yet many Floridians remain eligible for SNAP at that level of pay—especially if hours are limited or housing/rent eats most of their income. At the same time, Florida’s largest private employers (Walmart, grocery chains like Publix, major fast-food/franchise employers, Amazon distribution hubs) are the very companies whose pay and scheduling practices suggest large numbers of employees are working yet still depending on aid.

Policy & Corporate Accountability

Rather than evade scrutiny, many companies engage in tidy narratives: McDonald’s says its starting wage is “above the federal minimum” and that it supports raising the minimum wage nationwide. Walmart highlights its investments in pay/benefits and argues it employs people who essentially would be on full welfare otherwise. Amazon points to nuances—household size, benefits eligibility, local cost of living—to argue that being on Medicaid (or SNAP) doesn’t inherently mean the employer pays insufficiently.

Yet the core criticism remains: when taxpayers fund food and health aid for employees at profitable firms, those firms are effectively receiving a hidden subsidy. Lawmakers in some states (like Nevada) are starting to press large employers for transparency about how many workers depend on public assistance. Florida could follow suit.

What This Means for Florida

In practical terms: when you shop at a Florida Walmart, visit a fast-food chain, or order from an Amazon-warehouse-delivered package, the person processing your transaction very likely has needed SNAP in the past year. This dynamic shifts the debate around “working poor” from individual choices to structural issues: wages, hours, benefits, cost of living.

For Florida’s economy to break this pattern, the following would help: higher wage floors, full-time hours with benefits, predictable scheduling, and stronger state transparency on how many workers at large firms rely on public assistance programs. Without those changes, working families will remain stuck between a paycheck and the food stamp system.

What You Can Do Next (in Florida):

• Ask your employer or local business: Do you pay a “living wage” (i.e., enough for a family of 3–4 to avoid aid)? Are schedules stable? Often employers respond when customers demand fairness.

• Check local ballot initiatives: Florida is gradually phasing in a $15 minimum wage by 2026—stay informed, vote, and encourage city/county efforts to exceed state minimums in high-cost areas.

• Support transparency laws: Write to your state legislators and ask them to adopt reporting similar to Nevada’s system, which reveals how many employees of large companies rely on Medicaid/SNAP—this brings public accountability.

• Choose to rise up via spending power: When possible, support companies that pay livable wages and have strong benefits. Use consumer choices as leverage.

• Get involved locally: Food-bank networks, labor justice groups, and SNAP outreach organizations in Florida are always seeking volunteers and advocates—help raise awareness that food stamps are not just “welfare,” but a safety net for many working Floridians.