Unemployment benefits are taxable

With tax season here, the State of Michigan has begun making available year-end tax statements to anyone who has received unemployment benefits in 2015.

“Unemployment benefits are taxable, and those who received benefits will need their 1099-G statements to prepare their 2015 state and federal tax returns," said Sharon Moffett-Massey, director of the Unemployment Insurance Agency.

Form 1099-G or "Certain Government Payments," are prepared by UIA and report how much individuals received in unemployment benefits and income tax withheld last year.

Claimants will receive a hard copy of the statements via U.S. mail through the end of January. Those who have established an online account with the UIA will be able to view and print their 1099-G statement through the Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) beginning Feb. 1. Customers can access MiWAM at www.michigan.gov/uia. Click on Michigan Web Account Manager for Claimants and Employers.

Customers who do not have an online account may register for one at Michigan.gov/uia. For step by step instructions on how to sign up, click on “MiWAM Toolkit for Claimants.” Copies of the 1099-G forms are also sent to the IRS and the Michigan Department of Treasury.

Trades career expo set for Feb. 17

A building trades career expo will be held from 1-7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 17 at the All Seasons Conference Center, 9285 W. Houghton Lake Dr. (near U.S.-127), Houghton Lake. It is located in a former Quality Inn.

Labor representatives will be on hand from virtually all the building trades to discuss job opportunities in construction. Candidates with a full range of work experience, from unskilled to skilled, are welcome.

For more information, call (989) 366-8660 or a flier related to the event can be found at www.michworks4u.org

Nice jump for union contracts

Collectively bargained U.S. construction contracts throughout 2015 provided average first-year increases of 3.5 percent, compared with 2.6 percent in 2014.

That's according to Bloomberg BNA, a company which keeps track of these things. For collectively bargained contracts over all industries, first year wage hikes averaged 2.6 percent in 2015, compared with 2.1 percent in 2014.