Falling Short: Michigan's Unemployment Insurance Compares Poorly with Other Midwestern States

For more than five years, Michigan has had the highest unemployment rate in the Midwest. Despite this, Michigan's Unemployment Insurance (UI) system compares poorly against other Midwestern states in helping jobless workers as they seek employment; this is partly due to its failure to update its maximum benefit and partly due to the passing of laws that directly weaken UI's effectiveness. This report outlines the weaknesses of Michigan's UI system and provides recommendations for it to improve.