Benefits Extended

Gov. Jennifer Granholm has signed legislation extending unemployment benefits for an extra seven weeks. The governor says jobless workers now can receive benefits for up to 79 weeks while they look for other work. They already were eligible for 26 weeks of state unemployment benefits, 33 weeks of federal help and 13 weeks of extended benefits. Those extended benefits now will be available for 20 weeks. The state estimates more than 200,000 Michigan workers will have received extended benefits by year's end, with 70,000 qualifying by the end of April. Michigan has the nation's highest unemployment rate at 12 percent.