LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Thousands of people in Michigan could lose jobless benefits later this month if a federal program paying for emergency unemployment benefits ends.

The Detroit Free Press reports (http://on.freep.com/RvTGPC ) that about 87,000 people in Michigan would lose their checks Dec. 29 and new recipients would be looking at no more than 20 weeks of state support. The program is scheduled to end unless a deal to extend it is reached by Congress.

In the last extension, Congress pared back the potential length of benefits under the federally backed Emergency Unemployment Compensation program.

Gov. Rick Snyder and the state Legislature earlier cut the basic state unemployment benefit from 26 to 20 weeks.

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Information from: Detroit Free Press, http://www.freep.com