LANSING – State Representative Robert Jones (D-Kalamazoo) today called on the State Senate to pass a plan that will extend unemployment benefits for Michigan workers. The plan, which passed the House in May, will extend additional unemployment benefits to the swell of workers who are expected to begin running out of benefits today.
"This plan will give our workers what they need most to get back on their feet – time," Jones said. "If the Senate would act, we could instantly help more unemployed workers provide for their families while they seek out the training they need to land new jobs. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to do the right thing and pass this plan for our workers."
According to the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth, 731,000 residents reported being unemployed in July. Through December, the number of workers who will exhaust their unemployment benefits claims is expected to reach 1,533 in Kalamazoo County, while nearly 100,000 are expected to run out of benefits statewide.
For over three months, the State Senate has failed to act on a plan that will make unemployed workers who are enrolled in a vocational or retraining program eligible for an additional 26 weeks of unemployment benefits, which will be covered by federal stimulus dollars. Without Senate passage of this plan, Michigan stands to lose out on more than $138 million in unemployment assistance to struggling workers and their families as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Under the plan, these benefits will be automatically provided to workers who are in a declining industry and enter an approved training program that prepares them for entry into new fields. These benefits also will be provided to workers who lost their job through no fault of their own and are now working part-time, while more displaced workers fall behind.
House Democrats have launched an online petition to rally support for the plan to extend the unemployment lifeline to Michigan's struggling workers. Residents can sign the petition by visiting www.housedems.com/petitions and clicking on the unemployment petition graphic.
"With our unemployment rate at 15 percent, there's no question that we need to do all we can to support our workers," Jones said. "If the Senate continues to drag its heels, tens of thousands of workers could soon run out of benefits. We can't allow that to happen. At a time when we're using federal dollars to bail out big corporations and banks, we must not forget that our residents deserve our help too."