GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA), in partnership with Detroit-based design studio Civilla, has released a new tool, known as the Claimant Roadmap. The tool outlines six steps Michiganders seeking unemployment assistance need to follow to successfully file their claim: preparing to apply, submitting the application, reviewing one's monetary determination letter, registering and searching for work, updating information and checking for updates.
"Unfortunately, that information was just not gathered and presented in a way that was easily digestible or understandable," UIA Director Julia Dale said. "You had pieces here and pieces there, and what we've managed to do is distill it into one roadmap."
It's a problem that's plagued many in state, especially in the last few years. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Michigan's unemployment rate skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic to over 20 percent in April of 2020, sending many Michiganders using the system into confusion and desperation.
The new resource, Dale said was, in part, a product of residents' troubles.
"We clearly heard the feedback from the pandemic that the process was difficult, that people didn't understand eligibility requirements or how to apply," Dale said.
Since then, Michigan has been on the rebound, with June 2023 seeing a state unemployment rate of 3.5 percent - the lowest since 2000.
The new resource, Dale said, works toward easing the process's history of complications.
"If [claimants are] on the phone with one of our staff, because they have a question, together they can work through the Roadmap and explain where they're at and can know with clarity where they're going and what that next step is," Dale said.
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