What workers need to know about unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 emergency
March 30, 2020
Gov. Tim Walz signed an executive order March 16 to tweak Minnesota’s unemployment insurance program in an effort to help people struggling with the closure of schools and businesses because of the novel coronavirus.
The order was the latest in a string of measures taken by the governor to ramp up the state’s response to COVID-19 and push people to avoid crowds and take other health precautions. On March 13, Walz declared a peacetime emergency and warned against large gatherings. By March 16 he had closed schools and ordered closures of restaurants, gyms, theaters, museums and more.