Story Created:
Apr 13, 2009 at 11:31 AM EST
Story Updated:
Apr 13, 2009 at 4:26 PM EST
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Gov. Jennifer Granholm on Monday signed legislation extending unemployment benefits for an extra seven weeks, saying during a bill-signing ceremony at the Capitol that jobless workers can receive benefits for up to 79 weeks while they look for work.
"This was a bipartisan effort to step forward and help those in need," Granholm said of legislators who passed the bill quickly.
But while Granholm was extolling the help jobless residents could get, it hadn't gotten any easier to file an unemployment insurance claim by phone.
Calls to the toll-free hot line placed by The Associated Press on Monday ended in recorded messages saying all circuits were busy. That happened with calls placed throughout the afternoon.
Claimants have a much easier time applying for benefits online, where beefed-up access has largely done away with unemployment applicants not being able to access the service.
The state has installed hundreds of new phone lines and hired more than 350 new workers to help with claims since January, said Susan Corbin, deputy director of the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth, which includes the Unemployment Insurance Agency.
But getting through on the phone lines to file an unemployment call — at least early in the week — remains difficult.
"Our call volume on Monday can be five times as much as it is on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday," Corbin said. She noted that the toll-free line got more than 350,000 call attempts on Monday, April 6, compared to around 45,000 on Friday, April 3. During the week of March 30 through April 3, 600,000 call attempts were made.
She said the number of people trying to call undoubtedly went even higher once the news hit Monday that the governor had signed the unemployment benefits extension.
Norm Isotalo, UIA spokesman, said it's generally easier to get through between 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m., and to reach someone later in the week. He also urged those applying for benefits to apply online.
Before Granholm signed the legislation, jobless workers already were eligible for 26 weeks of state unemployment benefits, 33 weeks of federal help and 13 weeks of extended benefits. Those extended benefits now will be available for 20 weeks. They're being paid for by the federal recovery act.
The state estimates more than 200,000 Michigan workers will have received extended benefits by year's end, with 70,000 qualifying by the end of April. About 584,000 people were unemployed in February, the most recent month available, and about 500,000 are collecting jobless benefits, Isotalo said.
Michigan has the nation's highest unemployment rate at 12 percent.
Last month, Michigan's maximum weekly unemployment benefit was raised temporarily from $362 to $387 with help from the federal recovery act. The extra money will disappear in July 2010.
The Democratic governor urged lawmakers to pass two more bills that would expand unemployment benefits to more people. The first would let the unemployed get job training without having to prove they're looking for work, and the second would allow some part-time workers to get unemployment checks.
If those pass, the state could get an additional $140 million to cover the cost of the expanded benefits, Granholm said.
Both measures have been introduced in the House but haven't passed the House or the Senate.
