Correction: In the July 27th edition of PAAdvisory, the article on the casino ballot proposal inaccurately reported that the deadline for determining if the proposal will appear on the ballot is September 17th. The accurate deadline is September 7th. Michigan Health & Hospital Association Honored Modern Healthcare has honored the Michigan Health & Hospital Association as one of the United State’s top healthcare employers. The magazine has issued the awards for five years. Economic Uptick Results in Lost Jobs 177 temporary and 225 permanent employees in the Department of Licensing & Regulatory Affairs (LARA) unit that handles customer service for unemployment benefits questions are losing their jobs as a result of Michigan’s improving economy. As the economy improves and the jobless become employed, federal assistance for unemployment benefits decreases, largely resulting in the layoffs. International Trade Continues Upward Momentum The U.S. Department of Transportation announced this week that international surface trade with Mexico and Canada continues to rise, as does Michigan’s role in the transactions. The report stated that $83.77 billion in trade took place in May of 2012 – up 8.3 percent from the same month in 2011. Michigan ranked first in trade with Canada – $6.48 billion, up 2.6 percent from May of 2011.