June 2020 Bridge

Minnesota DEED’s mission is to empower the growth of the Minnesota economy, for everyone.

What are your major efforts currently due to COVID-19?

• Coordinating with the governor’s office, fellow state agencies, health experts, business and labor leaders, professional associations and others to safely reopen more of Minnesota’s businesses and safely return more Minnesotans to work.

• Providing unemployment benefits to the hundreds of thousands of Minnesota workers affected by job loss or reduced work over the past few months through our unemployment insurance office.

• Assisting small Minnesota businesses in finding the financial help they need to weather this crisis with the help of our economic development, business finance and small business assistance, and other expert staff.

• Connecting people who need work with the employers who need them during these difficult times through virtual and interactive CareerForce services.

How has your organization pivoted in response to the current crisis?

We’ve relied on our open communications and productive relationships with business and labor leaders and others throughout Minnesota for reasons none of us could have expected a year ago. We are grateful to our business, labor and other community partners who have worked with us to help individuals, assist businesses and get Minnesota on the road to economic recovery as safely and as quickly as possible.

Minnesota workers affected by COVID-19 were among the first in the country to be assisted through emergency benefits aimed at helping them through this difficult and uncertain time. These emergency benefits include a temporary additional federal $600 weekly payment to supplement their regular UI weekly compensation, as well as up to a 13-week extension of benefits for those who are eligible. In addition, eligible self-employed Minnesotans were among the first in the country to receive emergency help through Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). As of May 14, more than 86% of all applicants for unemployment insurance in Minnesota have received at least one payment and we have paid out more than $2.4 billion in total unemployment insurance and PUA benefits.

We stood up small business assistance programs, with bi-partisan legislative support and leadership from the governor’s office, in a matter of weeks.

Like many other organizations, we’ve learned to adapt to virtual meetings and working at dining room tables and in guest bedrooms. Nearly all of our staff is working 100% remotely to protect themselves and others.