Unemployment Insurance Extension Statement

Mr. President, passing an unemployment insurance extension today is urgent. More than a million people have lost their jobs this year, alone, and there are 10.1 million unemployed individuals. We must ensure that these individuals who have lost jobs and are looking for work, during a time when industries are cutting jobs and the price of food and other necessities is rising, are not also struggling to put food on their table, pay their utility bills, and provide shelter for their families.

During economic downturns in the past, we have always provided longer periods of unemployment benefits. The bill that I hope we pass today will provide a much needed unemployment insurance extension. This extension would ensure that out of work Americans in high unemployment states like Michigan will receive an additional 20 weeks of insurance, for a total of up to 59 weeks.

In October, Michigan’s unemployment rate increased from 8.7% to 9.3%, the highest unemployment rate since July 1992. The nation’s unemployment rate also increased to 6.5%. These are very hard economic times. Unemployment rates are rising dramatically and since January 2001 we have lost 3.7 million manufacturing jobs nationally and more than 250,000 manufacturing jobs in Michigan. There are currently 429,000 unemployed people in Michigan. Between August 2007-July 2008, the long-term unemployed (those who have been unemployed and looking for a job for 27 weeks or more) comprise about 27 percent of the total unemployed in Michigan. This is approximately, 100,000 unemployed persons.

The numbers of unemployed are rising all over the country. We must do something now to protect American workers and their families.

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