In his fifth Special Message to the Legislature since taking office,
Gov. Snyder this week identified workforce development and talent as a
key piece to the puzzle of Michigan’s economic recovery. The governor
described a growing disconnect between what Michigan’s employers need
and what’s available to them in terms of the state’s workforce.
Highlights of his plan to bridge this gap include a new one-stop website
for prospective employers and employees, proposed changes for
unemployment benefits, calls for changes to immigration caps and new
goals for the state’s welfare-to-work efforts. The governor described a growing disconnect between what Michigan’s employers need and what’s available to them in terms of the state’s workforce. Highlights of his plan to bridge this gap include a new one-stop website for prospective employers and employees, proposed changes for unemployment benefits, calls for changes to immigration caps and new goals for the state’s welfare-to-work efforts.
A key component of the governor’s proposal seeks to help businesses hold on to its talented workers by making changes to the unemployment system. By creating a work sharing program, companies would be able to scale back worker hours and employees would be able to receive partial unemployment benefits. Any change to the unemployment system in this regard would require approval by the state Legislature. It’s unclear what impact, if any, the proposal would have on employer unemployment insurance taxes and the employer finance unemployment insurance trust fund. SBAM staff will be reviewing the details of the proposal when available.