Last week marked the end of federal programs that increased the time period and amount of money Michiganders could earn on unemployment assistance. Programs such as the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) , Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), and Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (PUC) expired on September 4, 2021.
According to the Biden administration, states that want to continue adding to their regular unemployment benefits can continue to do so with COVID relief funds, but Michigan House and Senate lawmakers have said they will not support it.
Michigan has %6.5 billion in federal COVID relief funds designated through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), but lawmakers like Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey have made statements opposing extra unemployment benefits.
Shirkey said, “It’s past time to get back to work, as there is an abundance of jobs available. Meaningful work is a key factor in an individual’s mental and physical health. This supplemental increase needs to end as planned.”
The National Federation of Independent Business is in favor of ending benefits and getting people back to work. The organizations August 2021 Jobs Report showed that “fifty percent of all small business owners reported job openings they could not fill.”
Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand
