Minnesota’s Paid Leave program has received 100,000 applications in its first six months of operation, with about 75,000 approved for benefit payments, according to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). Paid Leave provides payments and job protections to workers who need time to bond with a child, recover from their own health or safety issue, or care for a family member.
About a quarter of applications submitted so far have been denied or withdrawn, DEED Deputy Commissioner Evan Rowe told KTTC. Rowe said application volume has steadied since the program’s launch.
“We’ve really leveled off,” Rowe said, referring to the initial surge of applications in January. “We’re seeing a pretty consistent application volume as we’ve gotten into April, May and June.”
Gov. Tim Walz signed Paid Leave into law in 2023 as part of the administration’s effort to make Minnesota more family-friendly. Under the law, nearly all Minnesota workers are eligible for paid, protected time off during a qualifying event such as welcoming a child, managing a medical condition or caring for a relative.
“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.”
DEED says early data suggest the applicant pool broadly reflects the state’s workforce. Among approved applicants, 54% earn less than $78,000 a year and 26% earn less than $52,000 a year, according to DEED figures reported by InForum. Fifty-eight percent are under 40, 44% live outside the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area and 64% are women. More than 38,000 bonding leave applications have been approved.
Applications also varied by region. Southeast Minnesota accounted for 25% of applicants, the highest of any region, followed by central Minnesota at 22%, the Twin Cities metro at 20%, northeast Minnesota at 18%, southwest Minnesota at 17% and northwest Minnesota at 15%, InForum reported.
Nationally, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that only 27% of workers have access to paid family leave, with lower wage workers, BIPOC parents and rural residents historically among the least likely to be covered.
DEED said nearly $600 million has gone directly to Minnesotans on approved leave, with an average weekly payment of $1,083. That money comes from a $668 million benefit account created when the law passed in 2023, more than $300 million in employer and worker premiums collected in the program’s first quarter, and about $70 million in savings attributed to an efficient launch.
Not every applicant has had a smooth experience. KSTP reported that one Minnesotan, Machaela Allen, went nearly two months without a paycheck while on maternity leave after her son was born on May 8. Allen said the state received her paperwork in early June and did not request additional information, but she was not approved until July 2.
“It just really put us in a bind, not knowing when we were going to get paid, and if we were going to get paid before we ran out of food,” Allen said.
Another applicant identified only as Younger told KSTP he made multiple phone calls, an in-person visit and sent emails to the DEED commissioner’s office without resolution.
“What they’re doing, or what they’re not doing, is affecting people’s lives,” Younger said. “I need the money. It’s owed to me. So, why aren’t you paying?”
A third woman told KSTP she applied for leave five times between April and June while seeking treatment for breast cancer and said she had to return to work before running out of money, still without approval.
DEED officials acknowledged some cases are complex but said the majority of applications are determined within two or three weeks, according to KSTP. Rowe told FOX 9 that about three-quarters of applicants are ultimately approved, with most denials tied to missing documentation rather than fraud.
“I think what this data really shows is that all Minnesotans are able to gain access to this program through this,” Rowe said. “The fact that low-income Minnesotans are able to take the time that they need just the same way that higher-income Minnesotans have been, makes a big difference.”
DEED said it has added new resources for applicants and employers, including a guide for applicants who need leave soon and a series of videos explaining employer roles and responsibilities under the program.
