Central Michigan 211 helpline expands as demand increases

The informational referral service hot-line 2-1-1 is expanding to make access to services more widespread in Central Michigan. The service, which currently covers 7 counties in the Jackson area, will expand to include Genesee and Shiawassee counties. With the two added counties, Central Michigan could go from serving about 900,000 to 1.4 million people.

The call center received 61,850 calls — 22,450 calls in Jackson — in 2009, and is on pace to top that this year. The center took more than 40,400 calls in its coverage area — 13,804 in Jackson County — between January and July of this year, according to the most recent reports.

Most of the callers find the help they’re looking for. For example in July, 211 took 5,452 calls in its coverage area. Of those calls, 4,988 — or 91.5 percent — were from people whose needs were met.

Read the full article: http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2010/09/central_michigan_211_helpline.html

Underemployment Affects 9 Million Americans

Beyond the 15 million Americans who have no jobs at all, millions more are caught in part-time or limited jobs that don't pay them enough to maintain their standards of living.

Economists have a technical term for these people: underemployed.But there's nothing technical about it for David Linehan of Quincy, Mass., who lost his job as an analyst for an energy-trading firm during the recession, along with his $30,000 salary and benefits.

The 43-year-old now tries to get by on less than one-third that amount as a driver for a rental car company. His new employer limits his work to less than 30 hours a week because any more would make him eligible for company-provided health insurance.

"I'm so sick of news about the recovery," said Linehan, who has some college and technical-school training.

The latest Labor Department report shows there are nearly 9 million people such as Linehan who want full-time jobs but can't find them. In some cases, their formerly full-time employers have reduced their hours because of a lack of business.

www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20100912/NEWS03/9120501/For-many-working-just-isn-t-enough