WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Candice Miller (MI-10) is an original cosponsor of a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that will extend unemployment benefits for 13 weeks to those who live in states with 8.5% unemployment rates and higher.  With over 400,000 workers projected to exhaust all of their unemployment benefits at the end of September and over a million by year’s end, the vast majority live in states with unemployment rates over 8.5%.  Miller’s home state of Michigan has the highest unemployment rate in the country, at 15%, and 100,000 uninsured individuals in the state will see their benefits run out at the end of this year if Congress does not act.  The Congresswoman said that these challenging times call for assistance from the federal government to those in the most need.

 “One hundred thousand Michiganians will see their unemployment benefits run out at the end of this year if we do not act,” said Miller.  “With the highest unemployment rate in the nation, we must do all we can to help those who are in the most need.  These are challenging times for job seekers, and it is vital that they have the resources necessary to stay above water while they continue to look for work.  The economy will improve and our talented workforce will find jobs, but in the meantime we need to extend the benefits for those who live in states that have been the hardest hit.”

 While some indicators show that the economy is slowly improving, figures show that one-third of the unemployed have been out of work for longer than six months.  There are six unemployed Americans for every job available.  Miller said that even though her state has the highest unemployment rate in the nation, she is hopeful that things will improve in the near future and voiced faith in her state’s workforce.

 “Michigan has the most talented pool of workers in the country, and they have worked hard for us,” said Miller.  “We cannot turn our backs on them in challenging times when they need our help the most.”