FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: April 2, 2025
Contact: Leah Leszczynski, lleszczynski@miaflcio.org, 989.316.6044
Michigan Labor Movement Praises Improvements and Increases to Unemployment Insurance Benefits
Changes Will Help Offset DOGE Destruction at State and Federal Level
LANSING, MI – The Michigan labor movement applauds today’s unemployment benefits increases, which are scheduled to take effect after being passed by the Michigan Legislature in 2024. Increases to the maximum weekly benefit and duration are sorely needed as President Trump and Co-President Elon Musk continue cutting jobs, wages and benefits for millions of federal workers, many of them in Michigan.
“Amid unprecedented attacks by the Trump administration on millions of government workers, unions, and the working class at-large, these improvements to Michigan’s unemployment insurance system will be key,” said Ron BIEBER, president of the Michigan AFL-CIO. “We applaud Senators Wojno, Cherry, Singh, and Cavanagh for their leadership in introducing and passing this much-needed legislation that is taking effect at a critical time.”
In 2024, the Michigan legislature passed multiple reforms to the unemployment insurance system. These reforms included updating the maximum weekly benefit and the maximum number of benefit weeks. Other changes include but are not limited to making it easier to claim benefits and clarifications to the internal Unemployment Insurance Agency operations.
“Strong unemployment benefits are a necessity. Some of these system changes are the first in 22 years — they are long overdue, applauded, and welcomed by Michigan’s labor movement,” said Steve Claywell, president of the Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council. “This package of legislation created much needed improvements to our unemployment insurance system: it increases the maximum weekly benefit from $362 to $614 over the next three years, increases the maximum benefit duration from 20 to 26 weeks, makes it easier for workers who have experienced multiple hardships to claim benefits, modifies qualifications and disqualifications to receive benefits, and makes records of the Unemployment Insurance Agency subject to the Freedom of Information Act.”
The Michigan AFL-CIO, Michigan’s largest labor organization, is a federation representing forty different labor organizations, eighteen different central labor councils, and eight constituency groups representing over 1 million union members and their families.
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