The restaurant and bar industry, in particular, has had to lay off thousands of workers over the past few months. | Stock Photo at Getty Images
The restaurant and bar industry, in particular, has had to lay off thousands of workers over the past few months. | Stock Photo at Getty Images
The number of people receiving unemployment benefits in Michigan has dropped significantly since the drastic spike in unemployment when the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The state said, as of the week ending on November 7, there were 168,941 people collecting unemployment, according to Michigan Capitol Confidential. It was the lowest number of people receiving assistance since Gov. Gretchen Whitmer imposed a stay-at-home order in March, forcing nonessential businesses to temporarily close. The decision, made in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, left almost 1 million people in the state without work or income. The state recorded a high of 996,374 people receiving unemployment benefits for the week ending on April 25.
The number of people without a job could see a rise in the weeks to come. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services recently put a stop to indoor dining and service at bars and restaurants for a period of at least three weeks beginning Nov. 18.
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