Recognizing that even as the Michigan economy continues to reopen in the wake of the pandemic, there are still many businesses in search of workers to fill the workforce, the Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Opportunity — LEO — has launched a new “Back to Work” effort highlighting programs and services that can help businesses with their current needs.
The new online resource which can be found at this link, Michigan.gov/BackToWork centralizes programs and services aimed at helping employers fill job openings, provide safe, healthy work environments for workers and address other business-related needs.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer says, “As Michigan’s economic outlook continues to improve, and we get back to a new normal, our administration is turning our attention to uplifting Michiganders and supporting businesses in getting back to work,” and adds, “We’re looking to the future. By providing tangible resources for businesses who need our immediate assistance after a challenging year, we ensure we build back even stronger.”
The ‘Back to Work’ effort comes at a time when the state is faced with five predominant workforce challenges:
- Demand for workers is high…
- Labor supply is relatively weak…
- Lack of significant wage growth…
- Fear of COVID-19 – employees will not go back into workplace if they do not feel safe…
- Lack of child care…
To address the immediate needs of job providers and the workforce, employers can take advantage of free resources like the online portal to connect them with job seekers at this link: Pure Michigan Talent Connect and LEO-organized virtual job fairs that can be regional, industry or occupational-focused, matching job seekers to employers in a remote space.
LEO continues to offer assistance through the MIOSHA Ambassador program by providing free education to help employers create safe workplaces without the risk of any potential penalty or citation. Over 4,000 businesses have participated since September of 2020.
In addition, unemployment insurance (UI) benefits provided a wealth of economic relief to Michigan. Throughout the pandemic, most Michigan claimants went back to work well before they exhausted their benefits – an average of 14-weeks versus the full 20-weeks. The state contends that UI benefits are not a major workforce barrier, rather the program has resulted in $64.7B in statewide earnings, which helped contribute to the economic recovery.
UI benefit programs like Work Share allow employers to bring back or keep employees working with reduced hours. During the pandemic, Michigan had the number one Work Share program in the country, preserving nearly 100,000 jobs and saving the State Trust Fund more than $90 million. The agency is currently working with state lawmakers to expand program flexibility to allow more employers to participate and more workers to be covered.
LEO Acting Director Susan Corbin tells us, “Throughout this pandemic we have prioritized businesses talent needs, and we continue to be committed to ensuring every Michigander has an equal and accessible opportunity to post-secondary education that leads to a good-paying, in-demand career,” and adds, “By providing employers with services to find and develop skilled talent, we create lasting change for every Michigander seeking a better life.”
The pandemic has created a growing child care crisis that threatens the state’s economic recovery. Many child care centers are still closed or reopening at a reduced capacity because of staff shortages and to allow for greater social distancing. Heading into the summer, many parents are concerned about child care availability. The state plans to use federal dollars to expand its pilot Childcare Tri-Share Program that provides more affordable child care through an innovative, bipartisan cost-sharing program that divides cost equally between employees, employer and state.
To further engage employers, LEO is hosting a virtual webinar geared toward highlighting services businesses can tap immediately and addressing their questions related to employment and training needs. That webinar is scheduled for next Wednesday, June 9th, from 10 to 10:45 am. To join, register at: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_TbEb9QxBQ8irnyYU1q5QQQ.
In addition to tools to address immediate workforce needs, employers looking to fill jobs and retain talent are encouraged to explore the state’s programs and services at Michigan.gov/BackToWork.
