Data released Tuesday by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development shows about 75,000 Minnesotans have been approved to receive benefit payments under the state's new Paid Leave program.
DEED Deputy Commissioner Evan Rowe says there were over 15,000 applicants in the first two weeks of the year.
"For parents and for people seeking care for themselves or for the family members, what you can really see as you look through the subsequent months is that we've really leveled off," Rowe explained. "We're seeing a pretty consistent application volume, as we've gotten into April, May, and June."
The program provides most Minnesota workers with up to 12-weeks of paid time off per year, although expecting mothers can take up to 20-weeks.
Rowe says there was a massive rush of applicants to start the year, but it leveled off just as quickly.
"By about the third week in January, we saw applications, new applicants, declined by about 25%," he explains. "And yeah, now we're really starting to get into that more steady state of program operations as we go along."
Under the new law which Gov. Tim Walz signed into law in 2023, almost all Minnesota workers are now eligible to take paid, protected time off when they experience a qualifying event like welcoming a child, managing their own medical condition, or caring for a family member.
"The first six months of Paid Leave demonstrate that the program is operating smoothly and delivering on its promise," said DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek. "Strong participation and performance metrics show Minnesotans are using Paid Leave when they need it most. This is an important milestone, and we're encouraged by the impact we're already seeing."
Some examples include:
- 54% of applicants make less than $78,000 a year
- 58% of applicants are under the age of 40
- 44% of applicants live outside the 7-county Twin Cities metropolitan area
- 64% of applicants are women
- Over 38,000 approved Bonding Leave applications
