LANSING – Unemployment benefits for Michiganders who are between jobs will increase from 20 to 26 weeks under a new law just signed by Governor Whitmer.

The will was sponsored by Senator Paul Wojno (D-Warren).

The bill reverses previous cuts to unemployment benefits that occurred under Whitmer’s Republican predecessor, former Governor Snyder.

In 2011, Snyder signed legislation cutting the maximum number of weeks unemployed people could claim benefits for from 26 to 20 weeks.

The bill also implements a new maximum weekly benefit, increasing, over a period of years, the check amount to $614 from $362.

The legislation signed by Whitmer sets the payments for the weekly maximum unemployment benefit at $446 in 2025, $530 in 2026 and $614 in 2027 and then requires the State Treasurer to adjust the amount to reflect the change in the Consumer Price Index, a measure of price changes.

This will be the first time this increase has been made since 2003.

Michigan is currently one of a dozen states offering unemployed workers fewer than 26 weeks of unemployment insurance, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Several business groups opposed the legislation to expand unemployment insurance in Michigan, along with most Republican lawmakers.

Other bills related to Michigan’s unemployment system headed to Whitmer’s desk are aimed at making the state’s unemployment system easier to navigate.

“Today, I am proud to sign commonsense legislation that extends unemployment benefits, improves job training for apprentices and more,” Whitmer said in a Dec. 23 press release. “With winter just around corner, Michiganders are still juggling high costs and a competitive job market. These bills will put money back in people’s pockets so they can keep a roof over their heads, pay the bills, get a good-paying job and put food on the table. I’ll work with anyone to make sure Michigan is the first place folks think of to live, work and raise their families.”

“This victory for working people has been over a decade in the making,” said Ron Bieber, President of the Michigan AFL-CIO. “Michigan workers are the strongest in the world and they deserve a safety net that allows them to provide for their families, put food on the table and keep the lights on while they get back on their feet. Finally, Michigan’s unemployment benefits will be restored to full strength after years of lagging behind our midwestern neighbors and practically every other state in the country. We applaud the bipartisan coalition of legislators who voted to put the working class first in passing this legislation and are so proud of all the hard work that went in to get it to the governor’s desk.”