Minnesota paid leave program: 75,000 approved to receive payments so far

Since the Minnesota paid leave program has been implemented, nearly $600 million has been paid to Minnesotan applicants. Minnesota paid leave data Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Deputy Commissioner Evan Rowe tells FOX 9 that according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 27% of workers in the U.S. have access to paid family leave. But now in Minnesota, with the paid leave program, it's "much closer" to 100% of Minnesota workers, now that Minnesotans across economic backgrounds have access to the leave. According to DEED, the new paid leave program has been able to reach a wide variety of the state's workforce. 54% of applicants make less than $78,000 a year, and 58% are under the age of 40. 44% live outside the Twin Cities metro, and 64% of the applicants are women. "I think what this data really shows is that all Minnesotans are able to gain access to this program through this," Rowe said on FOX 9's All Day. "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." Rowe says about three quarters of applicants get approved. While some applications get withdrawn, most applications are denied because they don't have proper documents officials need to verify the need for leave. When asked about preventing fraud in the program, Rowe said that DEED has a multilayered approach. "What it comes down to is making sure that we have strong controls on applicants when they're submitting their information," Rowe said. "We get information from the employer. We get information from healthcare providers, and we leverage a good amount of administrative data to do checks in the background to review elements of those applications." Where does the funding come from? DEED says that nearly $600 million has been paid to Minnesotans on approved leave, with an average weekly payment of $1,083. According to the DEED, the funding for payments comes from a $668 million benefit account that was established when the paid leave law was enacted in 2023. Over $300 million in employer and worker premiums have been collected since January. How to apply For more information on how to start or apply for paid leave, click here.