Economists are starting to get data that indicate a longer, slower recovery period following steep job losses during the coronavirus pandemic.
Michigan unemployment
Posted inBusiness Watch
Michigan town wonders what’s next as factory closes and 125 jobs are lost
‘We need to find jobs that people can keep,’ says one store owner as the second-largest employer in Evart closed this summer. It’s just another blow to a community fighting for stability during the coronavirus pandemic.
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan seeks $300 per week in extra benefits for unemployed
President Trump is making extra unemployment benefits available because of the pandemic that has left more than 2.4 million Michigan residents jobless. The state could have pursued an extra $100 per week in benefits, but opted against it because of declining tax revenue.
Posted inGuest Commentary
Opinion | Federal action is essential to aid Michigan's immigrant communities
The COVID-19 relief packages passed so far deny economic supports to thousands of immigrant families here in Michigan and millions more nationwide.
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan unemployment system designed to slow payments working all too well
Michigan overhauled its unemployment insurance system nearly a decade ago to save money, root out fraud and make it harder for jobless workers to qualify for benefits. Now, with more than one million workers jobless, the state has flagged 1 in 3 claimants for fraud amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Posted inMichigan Government
He took down Michigan’s unemployment system. Now, he’s struggling to fix it.
Four years before Steve Gray took over the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency, he exposed a false fraud scandal that rocked state government and prompted reforms. Now, some lawmakers are calling for his ouster as he tries to fix a system crushed by record jobless claims amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Posted inMichigan Government
Feds charge Michigan contractor in $2M unemployment fraud scheme
Authorities say a contract employee used “insider access” to approve hundreds of illegitimate claims beginning in April, during a historic wave of layoffs promoted by the virus and economic shutdown orders.
Posted inUrban Affairs
Detroit unemployment rate ‘alarmingly’ high amid coronavirus
Federal monthly data and three economic surveys show that many Detroit workers aren’t returning to work at a rate higher than most of the state and nation. It’s too soon to gauge permanent job loss, a U-M survey contends.
Posted inMichigan Government
Big benefits, claims a ‘perfect storm’ for unemployment fraud in Michigan
Michigan officials aren’t saying how many cases of unemployment insurance fraud investigators have found so far, but roughly 58,000 residents have self-reported that someone stole their identity to try to claim benefits.
Posted inMichigan Government
Nearly 12,000 Michigan workers unemployed since May 1 still await benefits
More than 11,800 Michigan workers who filed for jobless benefits between March 15 and May 1 have yet to be paid or denied, but the state unemployment agency said Tuesday it intends to clear that backlog by July 4.