Updated: 10/20/2009 2:58 PM KSTP.com | Print |  Email
By: Becky Nahm

Mpls. Mayor Calls for Jobless Benefits Extension

The mayor of Minneapolis wants jobless benefits extended for Minnesotans despite the state's declining unemployment rate.

Mayor R.T. Rybak said, ""Too many people in Minneapolis and across Minnesota need more time and help to find a job."

Congress is considering a bill that would extend unemployment benefits by 13 weeks. Only states with at least 8.5 percent unemployment for three consecutive months, or those with 6 percent unemployment for 13 months will qualify. That does not include Minnesota.

Last week the Department of Employment and Economic Development reported Minnesota's unemployment rate dropped to 7.3 percent in September, bringing the state's three-month average beneath 8 percent.

The nation's rate for September was 9.8 percent.

If Minnesota does not qualify for the extension, many unemployed workers will see their benefits expire in mid-November.

Rybak called for the extension while visiting a WorkForce Center in south Minneapolis.

He said, "We are doing everything we can to create jobs, grow businesses, and get people the skills they need to get back to work. But turning this economy around will take time and people need some kind of a safety net until the economy fully recovers."

The Minneapolis WorkForce Centers help people find work and provide training workshops.