State legislators got their first look at overall jobless claims Wednesday after two months of coronavirus layoffs. Eight percent of applicants still await payments.
Michigan unemployment
Posted inBusiness Watch
Long-term changes proposed for Michigan’s unemployment system
With 1.3 million residents filing for jobless benefits, the system is under a spotlight. Now, some policy experts and Democrats say, it’s time to revise it. Business leaders aren’t sure.
Posted inBusiness Watch
Michigan jobless claims top 1.1 million as state streamlines approvals
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order this week, changing the review process for benefits. The state hopes that step gets money to unemployed workers more quickly.
Posted inBusiness Watch
‘Scary times’ for Michigan restaurants won’t end when dining rooms reopen
Coronavirus is still battering the state’s restaurant industry, which lost $1.2 billion in sales in April and saw 75 percent of workers laid off. Switching to carry-out and opening for fewer patrons may not be enough for many to survive.
Posted inBusiness Watch
Some in Michigan make more from unemployment than work during coronavirus
Businesses in the northeast Lower Peninsula say some workers are not quite ready to return to their jobs, given the boost in income they receive from special federal and state funding during the pandemic lockdown.
Posted inBusiness Watch
How some Michigan counties are insulated against coronavirus unemployment
Certain places in Michigan are losing more jobs than others. It’s the same old story in a state where manufacturing still dominates the economy in some counties.
Posted inGuest Commentary
Opinion | Michigan's government could use a lesson on workforce deployment
“Instead of laying people off, why not assign them to the Unemployment Insurance Agency?” asks a state representative who says her office is fielding hundreds of calls from people who can’t file claims or get answers.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Detroit’s Henry Ford joins coronavirus red ink, furloughs 2,800 workers
The Detroit-based hospital system is the latest in a string of medical providers to announce deep staff cuts as the coronavirus pandemic dries up revenue streams.
Posted inMichigan Government
Whitmer laying off government workers as coronavirus hits Michigan budget
Michigan state budget coffers have been hit hard by the coronavirus, and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s staff begin sending emails to state employees Wednesday announcing 10-day layoffs.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Beaumont to lay off 2,475, eliminate 450 Michigan jobs due to coronavirus
Beaumont Health, the state’s largest health system, blamed the dramatic cuts on losses incurred during the pandemic, which forced it to cut revenue-generating procedures to handle the surge. CEO temporarily cuts his own pay 70 percent.