File through Minnesota's online portal or by phone within two weeks of your last day of work

Minnesota handles unemployment claims through the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), and you can file online at uimn.org or by phone at 1-888-209-8124. The online portal is faster — most people complete it in 15 to 20 minutes — but the phone line works if you do not have internet access or prefer to speak with someone.

You do not need to wait until you are officially laid off. You can file as soon as you know your job is ending, whether that is a permanent layoff, a temporary shutdown, or a reduction in hours that cuts your pay below a threshold. The key is to file within two weeks of your last day of work; filing later can delay your first payment.

Minnesota pays a maximum of $740 per week as of 2024, though your actual amount depends on your earnings in the year before you lost work. The state pays for up to 26 weeks in a standard claim year, though Congress sometimes extends that during recessions.

Key Takeaways

  • File online at uimn.org or call 1-888-209-8124; filing within two weeks of your last day of work prevents delays in your first payment.
  • Have your Social Security number, driver's license or ID number, and your most recent pay stub or W-2 ready before you start.
  • Minnesota pays based on your earnings in the first four of the last five calendar quarters before you filed, so higher-earning quarters count more.
  • DEED will contact your employer to verify the reason you left; if your employer says you quit without cause, you will need to explain why you left.
  • Your first payment arrives by debit card or direct deposit within 10 to 14 days if DEED approves your claim without questions.

What you need before you start filing

Gather these documents before you log in or call. Having them ready means you will not have to stop mid-claim and look things up later, which can cause mistakes that delay approval.

You will need your Social Security number, a Minnesota driver's license or state ID number, and the name and address of your employer. If you worked for a large company with multiple locations, include the specific location where you worked. You will also need the date your job ended and the reason you are no longer working — whether you were laid off, the business closed, your hours were cut, or you quit.

Have your most recent pay stub or W-2 form nearby. DEED uses these to calculate your weekly benefit amount. If you do not have a pay stub, write down the dates you worked and the total amount you earned in your last few paychecks; you can provide that information over the phone or type it into the online form.

If you are filing online, you will also need an email address and a way to receive a verification code — either by text message or email. DEED sends this code to confirm your identity before your claim goes through.

How Minnesota calculates your weekly benefit amount

Minnesota looks at your earnings in the first four of the last five calendar quarters before you filed your claim. A quarter runs from January 1 to March 31, April 1 to June 30, July 1 to September 30, and October 1 to December 31. The state adds up your earnings in those four quarters, divides by 52, and then pays you roughly 50 percent of that weekly average — up to the state maximum of $740 per week.

This means your benefit amount depends on when you file. If you file in January and earned most of your money in the previous year, DEED counts those earnings. If you file in April and had a very low-earning quarter in the first three months of the year, that low quarter counts against you. The state excludes your highest-earning quarter, so one very good month does not inflate your benefit.

If you worked part-time or had irregular hours, DEED still uses the same formula — it averages whatever you actually earned. If you earned $15,000 over four quarters, your average is $288 per week, and your benefit would be around $144 per week (50 percent). If you earned $40,000, your average is $769 per week, but Minnesota caps the benefit at $740, so you receive $370 per week.

What disqualifies you or reduces your benefit

Minnesota will deny your claim if you quit your job without good cause connected to the work. "Good cause" means the job itself made it impossible to stay — for example, unsafe conditions, wage theft, or a significant change in your duties that you reported to management and they refused to fix. Quitting because you found a different job, wanted better hours, or had a personal reason does not count as good cause, even if the reason was serious.

If your employer tells DEED that you quit, the state will contact you and ask why. You will have a chance to explain. If DEED decides your reason was not good cause, you can request a hearing before a judge, and the judge will decide whether your explanation meets the standard. This process takes several weeks.

You will also be disqualified if you were fired for misconduct — meaning you deliberately broke a rule you knew about, or you were repeatedly warned and did not change your behavior. Being fired for poor performance, making a single mistake, or not understanding a rule usually does not count as misconduct. If your employer says you were fired for misconduct, DEED will ask for details, and you can dispute it.

Your benefit is reduced or stopped if you earn money while receiving unemployment. Minnesota allows you to earn up to $150 per week without losing any benefit. Above $150, the state deducts 50 cents from your benefit for every dollar you earn. If you earn $250 per week, you lose $50 from your benefit that week ($250 minus $150 = $100, times 50 percent = $50 reduction).

The approval process and what happens next

After you file, DEED sends a notice to your employer asking them to confirm the reason you left and whether you are owed any final pay or vacation time. Your employer has 10 days to respond. If they do not respond, or if their answer matches yours, DEED approves your claim and you receive your first payment within 10 to 14 days.

If your employer disputes your reason for leaving — for example, they say you quit when you say you were laid off — DEED will contact you by phone or mail and ask you to explain. You will have a important date to respond, usually 10 days. If you miss the important date, DEED may deny your claim. If you respond, DEED reviews both sides and makes a decision. If either you or your employer disagrees with that decision, you can request a hearing.

Hearings are held by phone or video conference with a judge from the Minnesota Unemployment Insurance Appeals Division. Both you and your employer can present evidence and answer questions. The judge decides whether you are owed benefits. This process typically takes 4 to 8 weeks from the time you request a hearing.

Once your claim is approved, you receive a debit card or direct deposit to your bank account each week you are owed a benefit. You must report your earnings each week if you work part-time. Minnesota sends you a form to fill out online or by phone, and you report how much you earned that week. The state then calculates whether your benefit is reduced or stopped.

Special situations: Reduced hours, temporary layoff, and partial unemployment

If your hours were cut but you still have a job, you may be owed partial unemployment. Minnesota pays you the difference between what you earned and what you would have earned at your normal hours, up to your weekly benefit amount. For example, if you normally earn $600 per week and your hours were cut to $400 per week, you might receive a partial benefit of around $100 per week (50 percent of the $200 difference).

If your employer told you the layoff is temporary — for example, a factory shutdown for retooling or a seasonal business closing for winter — you can still file for unemployment. You do not have to wait to see if you are called back. If you are called back and return to work, your claim ends. If the layoff becomes permanent, your claim continues.

If you are self-employed or a gig worker (driving for a rideshare company, freelancing, or running your own business), you do not may have access to for regular unemployment. Minnesota has a separate program called Pandemic Unemployment information (PUA), but that program is only active during federal emergencies declared by Congress. Outside of those periods, self-employed workers have no state unemployment coverage in Minnesota.

After you are approved: Reporting requirements and maintaining your claim

Once DEED approves your claim, you must report your weekly earnings every week you receive a benefit. Minnesota sends you a form by email or mail, and you can report online at uimn.org, by phone at 1-888-209-8124, or by mail. You have until the end of the week to report; if you miss the important date, your payment for that week is delayed.

You must also report if you return to work, even part-time. If you find a new job, tell DEED when ready — do not wait until your next weekly report. Your claim ends the week you return to full-time work, but you may still be owed a partial benefit for weeks when you worked part-time.

If you receive a payment you believe is wrong, or if you do not receive a payment you expected, contact DEED within 30 days. The state can recover overpayments from future benefits or through other means, so it is important to report errors quickly. If DEED overpaid you and you disagree with their calculation, you can request a hearing to challenge the overpayment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I file for unemployment if I was fired?

Yes, but only if you were not fired for misconduct. Misconduct means you deliberately broke a rule you knew about or were repeatedly warned about. Being fired for poor performance, a single mistake, or not understanding a rule does not disqualify you. Your employer will tell DEED why they fired you, and you will have a chance to explain your side.

How long does it take to get my first payment?

If DEED approves your claim without questions, you receive your first payment within 10 to 14 days. If your employer disputes your reason for leaving, the approval takes longer — usually 3 to 4 weeks. If you request a hearing, add another 4 to 8 weeks.

What if I move out of Minnesota while I am receiving benefits?

You can continue to receive Minnesota unemployment as long as you are looking for work in Minnesota or you have a job lined up in Minnesota. If you move to another state and look for work there, you should file for that state's unemployment instead. Contact DEED to close your Minnesota claim.

Can I receive unemployment and Social Security at the same time?

Yes, but Minnesota reduces your unemployment benefit by a portion of your Social Security payment. The reduction varies depending on your age and the type of Social Security you receive. Tell DEED about your Social Security when you file, and they will calculate the correct benefit amount.

What if my employer says I owe them money or they did not pay me for my last week?

Report this to DEED when you file. If your employer owes you final wages, DEED can help you recover them through the state's wage recovery program, which is separate from unemployment. You can also file a complaint with the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry if you believe wage theft occurred.