Minnesota Paid Leave Program Supports 75,000 Residents In First Six Months: DEED

ST. PAUL, MN — About 75,000 Minnesotans have been approved to receive benefit payments in the first six months of the state's new Paid Leave program, according to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).

The program, which took effect this year under a law signed by Gov. Tim Walz in 2023, gives most Minnesota workers access to paid, job-protected time off for qualifying events such as welcoming a child, managing a personal medical condition or caring for a family member.

DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek said the first six months show the program "is operating smoothly and delivering on its promise," pointing to strong participation and performance metrics.

State data show 54 percent of applicants earn less than $78,000 a year, 58 percent are under age 40, 44 percent live outside the seven-county Twin Cities metro area, and 64 percent are women.

More than 38,000 bonding leave applications have been approved.

Nationally, only 27 percent of workers have access to paid family leave, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with lower-wage workers, BIPOC parents and rural residents historically among the least likely to have coverage.

Nearly $600 million has been paid directly to Minnesotans on approved leave so far, with an average weekly payment of $1,083.

The payments draw from a $668 million benefit account set up when the law passed, more than $300 million in employer and worker premiums collected in the program's first quarter, and about $70 million in savings from an efficient rollout.

DEED Deputy Commissioner Evan Rowe said the agency has continued adding tools to make the program easier to use, including a guide for applicants who need leave quickly and a series of videos explaining how it works for employers and families.

Minnesota Paid Leave is a division of DEED. More information and applications are available on the agency's website.