FLINT – As unemployment hovers at 15 percent with 731,000 residents out of work, Genesee County lawmakers today called on the State Senate to act immediately to extend unemployment benefits to Michigan's struggling workers. With a massive surge in the number of workers exhausting their benefits expected to begin today, the lawmakers warned that by year's end nearly 100,000 Michigan workers will have their unemployment lifeline cut unless action is taken.
"This economic crisis has hit the Flint area particularly hard, and our workers need this lifeline," said State Representative Lee Gonzales (D-Flint Township). "Our workers shouldn't have to decide between feeding their families and getting the retraining they need to get a good-paying job. Allowing unemployed workers to take part in retraining programs will help our region get back on its feet and attract job providers who are looking for a skilled workforce."
Under the lawmakers' plan, which passed the House in May, unemployed workers who seek new skills by enrolling in a vocational or retraining program would be eligible for an additional 26 weeks of unemployment benefits. 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. For more than three months the State Senate has failed to act on the plan, while more displaced workers fall behind.
"We have hundreds of thousands of people relying on these unemployment benefits right now, and we need to stand up for those workers," said State Representative Jim Slezak (D-Davison). "Extending unemployment benefits to workers in these retraining or vocational programs will help people from across Genesee County upgrade their skills and get back on the job."
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.
In July, 731,000 residents reported being unemployed, according to the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth. Through December, the number of workers statewide who will exhaust their unemployment benefits claims is expected to reach nearly 100,000, including more than 5,000 workers in Genesee County.
"Unemployment isn't a numbers game; it's a serious problem that is affecting hundreds of thousands of families across our great state," said State Representative Woodrow Stanley (D-Flint). "This legislation will give our hard-working residents who are facing tough times the opportunity to get back on their feet and retrain for jobs available now. I urge the Senate to take swift action on this plan and put the best interests of our workers and their families first."
The lawmakers 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.