Many Michigan jobless could soon lose their unemployment benefits

 Time is running out again for many Michiganders living on unemployment benefits.

 Hundreds of thousands of Michiganders have spent nearly two years surviving on unemployment checks as the state struggles with a double digit jobless rate.

But time may be running out for those benefits.  Congress has passed several extensions but may not this time. 

Norm Isotello is with the state department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth.    He concedes there is an argument that extended benefits may get in the way of people looking for work...but

"There are just more unemployed workers than job openings at this point in time," says Isotello, "These individuals need some sort of income in order to sustain themselves and their families until they are able to find new employment."

142 thousand Michiganders will have exhausted their 99 weeks of unemployment benefits by the end of November.    That number will rise to more than 300 thousand by the end of April, unless Congress votes to extend the benefits again.