8/13/14 - With grant money from the federal government coming in, Livingston County Michigan Works is planning to examine the issue of long-term unemployment. Director Bill Sleight says even as the economy is recovers, long-term unemployment is on the rise and, on average, someone who becomes unemployed in Michigan will go about 40 weeks before a new job is found. Experts at all levels of government are trying to figure out what is causing the phenomenon and to get people back to work. Grant money for that purpose was made available, and the proposal from the State of Michigan was selected as one of those that would receive funding. More than $6 million will be made available to the state over two years, with about $700,000 slated for the six-county region in Southeast Michigan that includes Livingston County. Sleight tells WHMI our county will get about $120,000. He says most of the money will be used for job training for the local unemployed, including on-the-job training and programs customized for local businesses, with the goal of getting the long-term unemployed back into the work force. Some of the money may also be used to research the problem and help determine why long-term unemployment is becoming so common. The County General Government and Health & Human Services Committee gave unanimous approval for Sleight to go ahead with accepting the grant on Monday. The proposal will go before the Finance Committee today, then head to the full board of commissioners for final approval. (TD)
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