Michigan Employers Can’t Get People Back To Work

West Michigan Republican State Representative Luke Meerman says it’s time Michigan dumps federal extended unemployment benefits. Rep. Meerman is sending a letter to that effect to Governor Gretchen Whitmer. A half dozen other GOP lawmakers are adding their signatures to the communication.

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Meerman says the idea of paying people an extra $300 a week for unemployment is a major factor behind many refusing to go back to work. He says the money would be better spent on back-to-work initiatives. Meerman says some people in Michigan have been receiving as much as $34,000 for 12 months of benefits while away from their jobs.

Meerman is telling the Governor he thinks employers throughout Michigan have been doing their level best to boost wages when they can, offering bonuses to begin working or stay on the job, and even offering cash to interview for positions. Additionally, he says many are changing their workplace models to allow more people the option to stay on the job, but from home.

Meerman says, “No matter what job providers offer, it’s not enough to compete with being paid to stay home. It is leading to businesses closing and losing business to out-of-state companies simply because they do not have the manpower to complete projects in a timely fashion.”

Meerman is also pointing out to Governor Whitmer that many states throughout America have done away with the additional federally supported benefits schedule. That includes Michigan’s neighboring states of Ohio and Indiana. The Michigan State Chamber raised the federal extended benefits payment as an issue facing employers at the end of April.