LANSING – Saying that Michigan's working families need and deserve support while the state recovers from tough economic times, State Representative Marc Corriveau (D-Northville) today urged the U.S. Congress to extend federal unemployment benefits for workers who have lost their jobs in Michigan's struggling economy.
"Our workers who have lost their jobs to outsourcing and downsizing are struggling to find work, and we must offer them the support they need until they can get back on their feet," Corriveau said. "By extending federal unemployment benefits, we can help our working families put food on the table and make their mortgage payments. I urge those serving in the U.S. House and Senate to approve this plan to bring relief to our workers who have fallen on hard times."
The U.S. Congress is considering legislation that calls for unemployment benefits to be extended by up to 20 weeks in most states. States with high unemployment rates – including Michigan – would see unemployment benefits extended an additional 13 weeks. Michigan residents currently get up to 26 weeks of unemployment benefits. The plan in Congress could provide unemployment relief for Michigan workers who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own for up to 59 weeks.
Corriveau supported a resolution in the Michigan House today urging Congress to approve the federal extension. The resolution was adopted on a vote of 106 to 0.
With jobs hard to come by, the unemployment rate in Michigan has been hovering around 7 percent for months. Over the past year, 156,000 Michigan residents have exhausted their unemployment benefits and another 72,000 are expected to exhaust theirs in the first half of this year, according to a June 7 article in The Detroit News.
"Thanks to global trade agreements and national economic policies, Michigan is struggling with the highest unemployment rate in the nation," Corriveau said. "It's time for the federal government to step in and give our workers the support they need and deserve."