Michigan leads the nation in unemployment, yet there are no unemployment offices in Southwest Michigan. The nearest office is in Grand Rapids. (WSBT photo)
Story Created:
Jun 24, 2009 at 4:37 PM EST
Story Updated:
Jun 28, 2009 at 10:39 PM EST
BENTON HARBOR — With Michigan leading the nation in unemployment at 14.1 percent, more and more people are filing for unemployment benefits. Without an office in Southwest Michigan, people in that area traveling to an unemployment office have to drive to Grand Rapids. For some, that's well over an hour drive.
Ryan Hardy lives in St. Joseph. He was laid off in December.
"I drove an hour up there and I waited 45 minutes in line and the lady only took like five minutes to answer my question." Hardy said. "That was, you know, the better part of four hours out of my day to have a five minute question answered."
Hardy said the Internet made filing for unemployment more convenient, but with some things that still have to be done face to face, an unemployment office nearby would help the people in Southwest Michigan.
"Right now, everybody is hurting, everybody is looking for a job," Hardy said, "So I would say, yeah, It would greatly benefit this area to have a local office."
Michigan Works helps the unemployed in Michigan train for and find jobs. The Michigan Works in Southwest Michigan feels that a local unemployment office would benefit the area as well.
"I represent the organization," said Director of Community Relations Candice Elders. "I just know to the thousands of job seekers that we see on a day to day basis, it would be a huge benefit to those that have problems that arise with collecting their unemployment benefits."
Because of Michigan's high unemployment rate, the state has been awarded $69.4 million in federal funding to improve unemployment services.
Representative John Proos is trying to use that money to add an unemployment office in the area.
"I believe I'm responsible to ensure that those dollars go to the folks that need it most." Proos said. "And in Michigan, the closest unemployment office is Grand Rapids, so the folks in Southwest Michigan — Berrien, Cass and Van Buren — have a long drive should there be problems where they need to talk to an unemployment official."
Michigan has led the nation in unemployment for the past 29 months.
