Minnesota unemployment insurance is financed entirely by a special tax paid by employers. The Minnesota unemployment insurance program provides temporary financial assistance to qualified persons out of work through no fault of their own.

In order to be eligible for Minnesota unemployment, you must:

•  Be a United States citizen or be legally authorized to work in the United States
•  Have earned wages of at least $1,000 paid in one calendar quarter in the four calendar quarters preceding the current quarter, and have earned a total of at least $250 in the other three quarters combined.
•  You must be available for work.
•  You must be physically and mentally able to work.
• You must be actively seeking work.

You should file for Minnesota unemployment benefits as soon as you are unemployed or your hours are reduced. Eligibility begins on the date you apply, subject to a mandatory waiting waiting, not the date you were laid off, so you need to apply immediately to ensure you’ll receive all the Minnesota unemployment benefits that you are entitled to.

In order to apply based on reduced hours, your hours need to be significantly reduced;if you work 32 or more hours in a given week you are not considered to be unemployed for that week.

Applying for unemployment benefits can be done online or by phone. Online is the fastest way to apply, while the the Applicant Self-Service Telephone System. The automated phone system allows you to apply in English, Spanish, Hmong, or Somali. You can reach the Applicant Self-Service Telephone System at 651-296-3644 in the Twin Cities area, and at 1-877-898-9090 from anywhere else in Minnesota.