The federal $600 a week payment for people receiving unemployment benefits is slated to end at the end of July, unless Congress takes action.

While regular unemployment benefits will continue for eligible people, the loss of the  emergency benefit will have a significant impact on many Minnesota families. Over the last several months, the additional $600 a week has helped Minnesotans who lost work or had their hours significantly reduced pay for housing, food, and other necessities for their families during these difficult times. When the temporary payment ends, many people will struggle to make ends meet.

The State of Minnesota is ready to help during these challenging times. At DEED, we are focused on connecting Minnesotans who need work with the employers who need them. You can find the top 30 jobs in demand now in Minnesota on CareerForceMN.com. The list is regularly updated with links to additional information about wages, educational requirements and current Minnesota postings for the jobs.

Many of the top ten jobs are available to people with a high school diploma or equivalent and  on-the-job training:

• Nursing Assistants (certain requirements waived during pandemic)
• Personal Care Aides
• Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (requires Commercial Driver's License)
• Home Health Aides
• First-line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers

Those five jobs all have good long-term career growth potential with additional training and certification and projected long-term demand.

Also consistently in the top 20 are jobs that offer long-term career growth potential and projected long-term demand:

• Registered Nurses
• Licensed Practical Nurses
• Software Developers

If you were laid off through no fault of your own, you may be eligible for career counselor-approved training and education funding through DEED's Dislocated Worker Program as well as other support to help find sustainable employment.

Minnesotans looking to change career paths should check out the top 30 jobs in demand on CareerForceMN.com. Contact staff at a CareerForce location to learn more about job search strategies, resume writing and additional virtual career training programs and services.

The impact of this global pandemic is staggering and has impacted every community in our state. With the $600 benefit set to expire, we also want to let Minnesotans know that there is other assistance available to help navigate economic hardship. Minnesotans who need help with food, housing, health care, child care and other basic needs are encouraged to go to ApplyMN to connect to state and county services to meet their families' basic needs. More resources are available on Minnesota's COVID-19 website or uimn.org/gethelp.