Minnesota
Laid off in Minnesota? Start here.
Who to call, what Minnesota law says about your notice, and the free state programs most people never hear about. Everything here is free, and every fact has its source at the bottom.
Who to call
Minnesota's free help, in one place.
Rapid Response is the state team that steps in around a layoff. The job center is where you sign up for career help and training. Unemployment is its own office.
- Rapid Response
- Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development651-259-7552CareerForce Rapid Response contacts
- Unemployment
- Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic DevelopmentTwin Cities Area: 651-296-3644Greater Minnesota: 1-877-898-9090File a claimBefore you file, check how Minnesota treats severance with the Unemployment Check.
- Job center near you
- Find an American Job Center (search by ZIP code)
The Rapid Response team works with employers too, so say up front that you're a worker who was laid off and ask where to start. You don't need your employer's permission.
Your notice
The federal notice rule applies here.
Minnesota has no mandatory layoff-notice law; the federal WARN Act applies. An employer that gives notice must send DEED the affected workers' names, addresses and jobs, which is how the state's Rapid Response team finds you.
Under the federal WARN Act, employers with 100 or more employees generally have to give 60 days' notice of a plant closing or mass layoff. Smaller layoffs often come with no notice at all.
Minn. Stat. § 116L.976 · Minnesota Statutes § 116L.976
See recent Minnesota notices on PinkSlipped's Layoff Wire.
Only in Minnesota
What's different here.
A bigger state program than most
Minnesota pays for its own Dislocated Worker Program on top of the federal one. It served 6,921 people in state fiscal year 2025, through local workforce areas and nonprofit providers.
A Rapid Response contact for every region
CareerForce lists the Rapid Response contact for the metro area and each region of the state.
Before the first call
Four free checks, in the order you'll need them.
They work for Minnesota and every other state, and none of them asks for your name.
- 1Unemployment CheckWhen to file, and the weeks severance may offset
- 2Runway CheckKnow your runway in ten minutes
- 3Insurance CheckCOBRA or the Marketplace: what coverage actually costs
- 4401(k) CheckWhat touching the 401(k) really costs
Your Plan puts the Minnesota calls in the right week, next to your unemployment claim and your severance deadlines. Build my free Plan
Sources
- U.S. Department of Labor, State Rapid Response Coordinators
- U.S. Department of Labor, How Do I File for Unemployment Insurance?
- Minnesota Statutes § 116L.976
- Minnesota DEED, Dislocated Worker Program report (2026)
- CareerForce, Find your Rapid Response team contact
Last reviewed October 26, 2026. Contacts and programs change; Minnesota's job center has the final word.
General education, not legal advice. PinkSlipped isn't affiliated with the U.S. Department of Labor or any state agency.