I think it was the time of year that affected the labor supply, just when the construction project needed people to swing a hammer at $40/hr.
There is not a lot of construction up north in the Winter. If Florida is like Texas in the Winter, we get the Winter Texans all the time and that is the time of year we are talking about.
These were temp positions to be filled for this purpose. He could have hired people from up north to work during the cold months. Who would have not jumped at the chance to come to Florida during the winter?