Michigan faces high unemployment rate, protests against coronavirus measures

Michigan, one of the hardest hit by the coronavirus outbreak, faces challenges stemming from the measures to contain the spread of the virus. Some of these challenges are the high unemployment rate and protests against the expanded stay-at-home order.

More than a quarter of the state's workforce filed for unemployment benefits. This is equivalent to over one million Michiganders seeking jobless benefits, according to the state’s labor department.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer expanded the qualification for economic assistance to self-employed, gig workers, 1099 independent contractors, and low-wage workers affected by COVID-19.

However, the Unemployment Insurance Agency website crashes on Monday due to the volume of claims being filed.

“We added hundreds to our call center individual staff,” said Jeff Donofrio, the director of Michigan’s Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity.

"And hundreds more are on the way. We’ve expanded the number of hours and operations of those call centers, and we’ve set up new tools like a dedicated IT team. That will help with forgotten passwords, locked accounts and authentication codes," he added.

“We know that $350 million has been paid out to almost 600,000 Michiganders,” said Donofrio.

“This money is critical for families to put food on their tables, to pay their bills, and to buy prescription drugs and it’ll be critical for the reopening of our economy. But we also know it’s of little comfort to individuals who are worried about their economic future and still have not been able to file for unemployment benefits. And we want to help.”

Protests against the expanded stay-at-home order

Gov. Whitmer reported that Michigan has 25,635 cases of COVID-19 and the death toll already reached 1,602 as of Monday.

She imposed an expanded stay-at-home order, which will last through April 30. She also stretched the requirements, such as banning crossing the street to visit neighbors and driving to see friends.

“Michigan has the third highest number of COVID-19 cases in the country, and we’re still on the upswing," Whitmer said last week.

"We must continue to do everything we can to slow the spread and protect our families. Data shows that most Michiganders are doing their part by staying home and staying safe. That’s good, but we must keep it up."

However, Whitmer's new order was being challenged by critics because of inconsistencies. An example is it allows the sale of lottery tickets but not paint or gardening tools.

“Michigan’s typical small business owners obey laws, but they may not notice the progressive agenda being pushed by our radical leftist Governor Whitmer,” Rosanne Ponkowski, president of the Michigan Conservative Coalition, said in a news release. “Governor Whitmer will put you out of business before allowing mere citizens to be responsible for their own behavior. That is madness.”

The Michigan Conservative Coalition and Michigan Freedom Fund asked for protesters to rally at the Capitol in their vehicles on Wednesday, display flags and signs, and make noise.

They warned protesters to prepare for a potentially major traffic jam. Meanwhile, more than 13,000 Facebook users said they were interested in the protest as of Monday morning. Around 2,800 had RSVP'd for the said protest.