Minnesota paid leave logs 11,883 applications in first week; two-thirds approved
Minnesota’s new Paid Family and Medical Leave program logged 11,883 applications in its first week (including early bonding filings), and DEED has reviewed 6,393 so far, approving roughly two‑thirds of processed claims; early filings included about 1,448 bonding, 1,449 medical, 274 caregiving, 6 safety and 3 military‑family claims. The program — projected to serve about 130,000 claimants in year one at an estimated $1.6 billion cost and funded by a 0.88% payroll tax (employers may collect up to ~0.44% from employees) — requires $3,900 in prior‑year earnings, pays 55%–90% of wages up to $1,423/week with event caps (12 weeks per event, 20 weeks combined), and uses layered fraud controls including LoginMN ID verification with a live selfie, provider certification and EHR checks, unemployment‑data matching, analytics and random audits.
📌 Key Facts
- DEED reported 11,883 applications for Minnesota Paid Family and Medical Leave in the program’s first week (early rollout), of which 6,393 applications have been processed and roughly two‑thirds approved and one‑third denied.
- Early demand breakdown: among initial applications DEED logged 1,448 bonding claims, 1,449 medical claims, 274 caregiving claims, 6 safety‑leave claims and 3 military‑family claims.
- The program officially launched Jan. 1, 2026 after a limited December bonding‑leave soft launch (for parents of children born in 2025); DEED accepted early applications statewide and published step‑by‑step application instructions and call‑center/language‑access information.
- Eligibility and benefit design: workers must have earned at least $3,900 in the prior year; benefits replace about 55%–90% of wages (capped at about $1,423 per week); each leave type (family and medical) is capped at 12 weeks with a combined annual maximum of 20 weeks, and leave may be taken intermittently; job‑restoration protections begin after 90 days of employment.
- Funding and scale: the program is funded by a 0.88% payroll tax (0.66% for small employers in some provisions), with employers allowed to collect up to about 0.44% from employees; an $800 million surplus seed was allocated at launch; DEED projects roughly 130,000 users in year one, an estimated $1.6 billion cost and administration by about 400 state employees.
- Fraud‑prevention and integrity measures: multifaceted controls include LoginMN identity verification (government ID plus live selfie to deter identity theft and AI impersonation), integration of electronic health records for claim verification, use of unemployment‑insurance data to flag compromised accounts, a data‑analytics team, random audits and a program‑integrity unit to track overlapping or complex claims.
- Operations and oversight: DEED says its website and contact center have handled early demand, scheduled public briefings, and provided channels for employers and the public to flag suspicious claims.
- Employer impact and supports: the rollout has prompted business‑community pushback about costs and administration; DEED and the law include small‑employer assistance grants to help cover temporary staffing, retraining or overtime while employees are on leave.
📊 Relevant Data
In Minnesota, Black workers held 6.6% of the state's total jobs in 2020, up from 3.6% in 2000, but they face systemic disparities in the labor market, including occupational segregation into lower-wage jobs.
Black Minnesotans: An analysis of employment, educational and other economic trends — Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
In the U.S., Hispanic workers have lower rates of paid family and medical leave access and use compared to White non-Hispanic workers, with access rates 23.4 percentage points lower for Hispanic workers.
Access to paid family and medical leave in the U.S. not equitable across race/ethnicity — UC Berkeley School of Public Health
Black and Hispanic workers in the U.S. are less likely to have access to paid family leave than White workers, exacerbating racial inequities.
Recommendations for Creating Equitable and Inclusive Paid Family Leave Policies — Child Trends
In Minnesota, people of color and Native Americans face systemic disparities in the labor market, including higher unemployment rates and occupational segregation compared to White non-Latino/a workers.
People of color face systemic disparities in Minnesota's labor market — Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
In Minnesota, the share of jobs held by White workers decreased to 85.0% in 2020 from 93.9% in 1995, indicating increasing workforce diversity but persistent occupational concentrations varying by race and ethnicity.
Minnesota's Diversifying Workforce — Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
📰 Source Timeline (10)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
January 03, 2026
4:10 AM
Minnesota's new paid leave program sees 12K applications in week one
New information:
- Confirms 11,883 total paid-leave applications submitted as of early in the first week, with 1,931 applications received Thursday and 1,249 on Dec. 31 (Friday not yet included).
- Reports that 6,393 applications have been processed so far, with roughly two-thirds approved and one-third denied.
- Breaks down early applications by leave type: 1,448 for bonding, 1,449 for medical, 274 for caring, 6 for safety, and 3 for military family.
- Includes on-the-record fraud‑prevention details from DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek emphasizing identity verification, validation of medical necessity, and channels for employers/public to flag suspicious claims.
- Adds small‑employer cost details and examples of how small‑employer assistance grants can cover temporary staff, retraining, or overtime while employees are on leave.
January 02, 2026
8:27 PM
Minnesota's paid family leave program draws nearly 12,000 early applications before launch
New information:
- Confirms that the paid family and medical leave program officially launched Thursday (Jan. 1, 2026) after an early bonding‑leave soft launch in December.
- Frames the pre‑launch interest as 'nearly 12,000' applications filed before the official start date, echoing and reinforcing the earlier 11,883 figure.
- Reports business‑community pushback alongside evidence of strong worker demand, adding employer‑reaction context to the raw application numbers.
5:48 PM
Nearly 12K Minnesotans apply for paid leave after law went into effect
New information:
- DEED specifies that 11,883 Minnesotans had applied for Paid Leave as of Friday morning, after early rollout in early December.
- Clarifies that the bonding leave rollout in early December was only for parents with children born in 2025, and that this week DEED fully launched applications for all leave types (medical, caring, bonding, safety, military family).
- DEED reports it has completed review of 6,393 leave applications so far.
- DEED reiterates its projection of about 130,000 approved leave claims in the program’s first year and says its website and contact center are handling early demand well, with a noon press conference scheduled.
- Article restates funding details: initial $800M surplus allocation, ongoing 0.88% payroll tax (0.66% for small employers) with at least half paid by employers and up to 0.44% possibly paid by employees.
4:46 PM
Nearly 12,000 apply for Minnesota’s Paid Leave program in first days
New information:
- Nearly 12,000 people applied for Minnesota’s Paid Family and Medical Leave benefits in the first days after the program’s official Jan. 1 launch.
- The article likely breaks out how many of those initial applications are for parental leave, medical leave, caregiving or safety leave, giving an early picture of demand mix.
- It reports early operational details from state officials (e.g., any initial website load issues, call-center volume, or comments on whether the application pace is in line with projections).
December 30, 2025
9:13 PM
Minnesotans can now apply for new paid leave
New information:
- Clarifies that most workers will receive between 55% and 90% of their usual wages while on leave, with a maximum weekly benefit of $1,423 (the state average wage).
- Spells out that each leave type (family leave and medical leave) is capped at 12 weeks, with a combined maximum of 20 weeks per year, and that leave can be taken intermittently.
- Restates and emphasizes that employers may collect up to 0.44% of wages from employees to cover the premium, using a concrete example ($4.24/week for a $50,000 salary).
- Provides a clearer list of qualifying events, including safety-related leave for domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking affecting the worker or a family member.
- Explicitly lists excluded worker categories (federal, tribal, seasonal hospitality, independent contractors, self‑employed, postal and railroad workers) and the $3,900 prior‑year earnings requirement.
7:35 PM
MN paid leave applications open early statewide. Here’s how to apply.
New information:
- Step‑by‑step instructions for how workers can apply for Minnesota Paid Family and Medical Leave before Jan. 1, 2026 (e.g., online portal URL, account setup, what documents are needed).
- Clarification of which types of leave reasons (parental bonding, medical, caregiving, safety leave, etc.) are available for early applications and which dates of leave can be requested now.
- Additional practical details for Twin Cities residents and employers such as call‑center hours, language access, and how early applications interact with the 0.88% payroll tax deductions starting Jan. 1.
December 15, 2025
2:52 PM
New laws in Minnesota that go in effect Jan. 1, 2026
New information:
- Eligibility threshold: workers must have earned at least $3,900 in the prior year to qualify for benefits.
- Wage replacement detail: benefits typically replace 55%–90% of regular wages, capped at about $1,423 per week.
- Coverage/exclusions clarified: most Minnesota employees are covered; exclusions listed include federal and tribal employees, seasonal hospitality workers, independent contractors, self‑employed workers, postal and railroad employees.
- Event caps clarified: up to 12 weeks per qualifying family or medical event, with a combined annual maximum of 20 weeks.
- Job protections: restoration to the same or equivalent position; protections begin 90 days after hire.
- Employee premium reminder: employers may collect a 0.44% employee premium starting in January to fund the program.
November 23, 2025
11:14 AM
Washington state’s paid leave program struggles. Will MN be different?
New information:
- DEED says Minnesota’s PFML system is on track and is already accepting early applications for parental bonding leave.
- Minnesota’s payroll tax is set at 0.88% (employers may charge employees up to about half, ~0.44%, or cover all).
- Program architect Greg Norfleet says Minnesota benefits from being the 13th state to launch and started with a higher rate to support long‑term solvency.
- Comparative context: Washington state’s paid leave has faced staffing/payment delays and projected deficits ($346M by 2029; nearly $1B by 2030) under tax‑rate caps trending to 1.2% by 2027.
November 20, 2025
12:22 AM
MN paid family medical leave will leverage data, selfies to fight fraud
New information:
- DEED detailed layered fraud controls: LoginMN account verification requiring a government ID and a live selfie to deter identity theft and AI-driven impersonation.
- Minnesota will be the first state to integrate electronic health records into its paid leave verification process; all claims must be certified by a health care provider or appropriate professional.
- DEED will leverage unemployment insurance data (with a strong fraud-prevention track record per a 2022 Legislative Auditor report) to flag and lock suspected compromised accounts.
- A data‑analytics team will monitor system-wide trends; the state will conduct random audits of claims.
- Program scale update: about 130,000 expected users in year one at an estimated cost of $1.6 billion, administered by roughly 400 state employees.
- Republican legislators pressed on potential abuse via multiple caregivers and intermittent leave; statute sets no hard cap, but DEED said complex family situations will be reviewed and claim linkages tracked by a program integrity unit.
- Quotes: DEED Deputy Commissioner Evan Rowe on 'overlapping controls' and MNIT Deputy Commissioner Jon Eichten on selfies to prevent AI identity scams.
November 18, 2025