 |
|
| | | | Unemployment Insurance Recipients and the Number of Unemployed: Why the Numbers are Different (Continued) | | | | Jason Palmer & Jim Rhein | | | | Unemployment Insurance Claimants Each month, thousands of people call, walk, or log into the state unemployment insurance agencies to file a claim for unemployment insurance benefits. Generally, these people - called claimants - have become unemployed and believe they will qualify for and will receive benefits as temporary income as they seek new employment. However, not all claimants are eligible for benefits and some will not receive them. To be eligible for unemployment benefits, an individual must have had qualified earnings from a liable employer during a particular time and the individual must be available for and actively seeking suitable work. In Michigan, in some cases an individual must also register for work by filing their resume on the Michigan Talent Bank and by reporting to an area Michigan Works! Agency service center.
In Michigan, the Unemployment Insurance Agency, within the Department of Labor and Economic Growth, manages unemployment taxes and insurance. In addition to daily administrative responsibilities, the Unemployment Insurance Agency tracks the number of claimants that are approved or denied benefits. Once released, these statistics can be very useful to economists as they measure labor market activity. For example, if the Unemployment Agency records a relatively high number of unemployment insurance claims during a month, it may signal an economic event that has caused an above average number of workers to lose their jobs.
This article will focus on the number of individuals who have been approved for unemployment insurance benefits (hereafter referred to as "benefits" or "U.I. benefits"). Each week, the Unemployment Insurance Agency produces an internal report detailing the number of individuals that are receiving benefits. According to the common misperception, these individuals - those actually receiving benefits - would be the only persons who are counted as unemployed. |
 | |  | | | |
| Not At All 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - Highly | | Average Ratings: 3, Total 9574 Votes |
| |  | |  |
|
|
|
