Since March 16, 17.8% of all White people in Minnesota’s labor force have applied for unemployment insurance benefits, while 31.4% of Indigenous people and People of Color in Minnesota’s labor force have applied for benefits.

At DEED, we are working with community members, the Governor’s Office and other state agencies and offices to ensure that employment gains made by African Americans since the Great Recession are not lost as we move into economic recovery in the coming weeks and months.

Staff in the unemployment insurance office at DEED work seven days a week to serve Minnesota workers impacted by COVID-19.

On April 8, eligible workers began receiving an additional $600 a week in unemployment compensation benefits and they were extended by 13 weeks starting April 15.

Maureen Ramirez is director of DEED’s Office of Economic Opportunity and serves on the Governor’s Working Group for Community Resiliency and Recovery.