Minnesota starts issuing $600 payments to unemployed through CARES Act

Minnesota has started issuing $600 payments through the U.S. Department of Labor to people receiving unemployment benefits, according to state employment officials.

In a news release, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development announced on Wednesday it had received final guidance to issue the additional payments that Congress authorized in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. 

“With a record number of unemployment applications, we know this is an uncertain and challenging time for many," DEED Commissioner Steve Grove wrote in a statement. "It was critical that we act swiftly and provide this additional compensation without delay.”

DEED Commissioner Grove joins KSTP to answer viewer questions about unemployment insurance

The $600 payouts will first be available to people who requested unemployment insurance for the week of March 29. Those who requested payment for that week will automatically receive the payment for that week and every week after in which they are eligible, according to the release.

More than 340,000 Minnesotans have applied for unemployment benefits since mid-March, according to DEED statistics.