May 2026
June 10: MinnesotaWorks.net is retiring
The state labor exchange officially changes from MinnesotaWorks.net to CareerForce.MN.gov next month. As of June 10, MinnesotaWorks.net will no longer be publicly available. Here are some of the changes that will happen at cutover:
- Job seekers will need to create an account on CareerForce.MN.gov to help meet Unemployment Insurance work search requirements
- Events will be set up and managed on CareerForce.MN.gov instead of MinnesotaWorks.net
- Services to reportable individuals will be tracked on CareerForce.MN.gov instead of MinnesotaWorks.net
GovDelivery email communications are going out to job seekers with resumes saved on MinnesotaWorks.net to let them know that if they want to keep a resume they have saved on MinnesotaWorks.net, they need to download it and save it elsewhere. Job seekers can upload and store up to five resumes on CareerForce.MN.gov.
If you are working with job seekers who have resumes saved on MinnesotaWorks.net, please remind them to download them before June 10 if they want to keep them.
Communications with Minnesota employers about the cutover from MinnesotaWorks.net to CareerForce.MN.gov have been ongoing since last year. Since January, employers with active accounts on MinnesotaWorks.net have been receiving monthly GovDelivery emails reminding them to set up their Post-a-Job account as soon as possible.
If you are working with employers who are still using MinnesotaWorks.net to post their open positions, please remind them to set up their Post –a-Job account right away.
Trainings for staff and partners as well as job seekers are coming up in June.
If you have questions about the Labor Exchange Replacement Project, make sure to visit this webpage to find out more and sign up for monthly informational meetings
- You are also invited to attend the May 7 What’s New with CareerForce from 10-11 a.m. on Teams to learn more. Join the meeting here.
 Adult Career Pathways Team News
The ACP Provider Map is live on the ACP webpage! The ACP Provider Map shows ACP training providers and corresponding training programs currently funded through ACP. You can search by service type, credential, industry sector, or service area. The search results will display matching providers, services, and contact information. We hope the ACP Provider Map will serve as a helpful tool for you and your participants!
Tips/Tricks/Reminders
Grants Ending June 30, 2026
The final RPR/FSR for contracts ending June 30, 2026 is due no later than July 20, 2026. Revised or supplemental RPR/FSRs will not be accepted after this deadline, so please ensure all contract expenses are submitted by that date. Funds associated with these contracts will not be available beyond July 20, 2026.
New Grantee Resources
The ACP Team has put together many resources that will assist grantees who are new to ACP grants:
Adult Career Pathways Webpage
Check out the ACP home page for resources and tools to assist in the management of ACP Grants.
ACP Successes-
We'd love to learn about the amazing work you're doing and how it is positively impacting the lives of individuals throughout the State of Minnesota! To submit a success story, please fill out this brief ACP Success Stories Form.
Story #1: Graduates of International Institute of MN’s entrepreneurship program recently took the national stage, presenting their businesses during COABE’s “Adult Education Entrepreneurship Showcase” webinar. Participants shared their inspiring entrepreneurial journeys and highlighted how the Institute’s training, supported by funding from the Transformative Career Pathways Workforce grant, helped turn their ideas into promising ventures.
Story #2: Amid the challenges of the recent Operation Metro Surge, which has impacted immigrant-owned business, two International Institute of MN students achieved exciting milestones by launching their own businesses in January 2026. One entrepreneur debuted an event decoration company, quickly booking her first clients and generating initial revenue. Another opened a Thai cuisine and sushi restaurant, celebrating a highly successful launch. They sold out and had to close early on the opening day of the restaurant!
Please contact your Adult Career Pathways Grant Coordinator directly with any questions regarding Adult Career Pathways Programs.
 Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP)
The Right of Return process in the Grantee Performance Management System (GPMS) was updated to better align with Employment and Training Administration (ETA) performance guidance outlined in TEGL 10‑16, Change 3. As communicated in the email sent on January 7, 2026, to all SCSEP providers (“Changes to Right of Return Process in GPMS”), a participant’s date of exit cannot be confirmed until 90 days have passed since they last received services. Once that 90‑day period has elapsed, the official exit date is applied retroactively to the last date of service.
Originally, the Right of Return applied only to participants who exited for unsubsidized employment but did not complete 30 calendar days of work within the first 90 days after exit. This provision allowed for a 30‑day trial period in which participants could return to the program if the new employment was not sustained.
The return option has now been expanded to include all exit types except exits for cause. This means any participant who returns for additional services within 90 days of their exit—regardless of the exit category, may resume services under the same case ID.
With the January 30 system release, GPMS now displays the user‑entered exit date immediately. If a participant returns within 90 days and needs further services, they will be able to continue under their existing enrollment.
Providers retain discretion in determining whether reenrollment is appropriate based on the circumstances of the exit and whether additional services align with the participant’s Individual Employment Plan (IEP). When funding is limited, providers may place returning participants on the waitlist. In such situations, every effort should be made to continue offering follow‑up services when applicable, including job counseling or referrals to community resources.
Further instructions will be shared with detailed procedures for documenting a participant’s return to services in GPMS.
DWFAP Spring 2026 Virtual Webinar
Dislocated Worker Spring 2026 Informational Webinar is scheduled for Tuesday, May 12, 9:30 am to 12:00 pm. The topics include Priority of Service Requirements and Practice, and Clarification and Updates on State DW Program Eligibility Category Eight (Non-Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses).
Please share the webinar within your organization and register today!
WIOA Adult, WIOA DW and State DW
- PY24FY25 funds must be expended by June 30, 2026:
- Cost category adjustment is allowed on the final Reimbursement Payment Request (RPR) if the total expended does not exceed the total approved budget. However, the Admin cost category must not exceed 10% of total reimbursed.
- Any remaining unused funds will be reallocated to Local Areas that have spent out their PY24 funds.
- PY23 Reallocations must be expended by June 30, 2026, there will be no extension for reallocations.
- PY25FY26 Carry Forward Request: Providers may request a waiver to carry forward more than 20% of their allocated PY25 funds into the second year of the grant using the provided template. Providers who expend or obligate at least 80% of their PY25 formula funds by the end of the 4th quarter do not need a waiver.
- Carry Forward Requests pertain to all formula grants: WIOA Adult, WIOA DW, and State DW.
- The deadline to submit waivers was April 30, 2026.
- PY26FY27 WIOA DW & Adult Funding TEGL is pending; allocations will be sent out once released.
- For fast processing of contract paperwork, please begin having conversations with your partners to complete sections that are not budget specific (e.g.: Narrative). The budget table can be finalized once the allocation information is released.
- PY26SFY27 State DW Formula: Preliminary allocation will be available mid to late May 2026 and final will be shared after the June 21, 2026 MJSP Board meeting.
Retaining Employment and Talent After Injury/Illness Network (RETAIN)
As MN RETAIN continues to enroll ill/injured individuals, some may benefit from workforce services and training. The MN RETAIN Mayo Clinic team will complete a referral form and submit it to MN RETAIN staff at DEED. That referral form will indicate the CareerForce location preferred by the participant. The manager of the local area's Dislocated Worker program will receive an email from MN RETAIN staff at DEED with the participants' referral details.
Our request is for the local area manager to forward the referral email to an available Dislocated Worker counselor to proceed with intake procedures, using the referral form as proof of eligibility into the State Dislocated Worker (eligibility category of Non-Work-Related Illness or Injury). MN RETAIN staff at DEED will continue communicating with the assigned counselor to provide guidance and ensure the transfer of information is complete for data entry into Workforce One.
REMINDER: Please treat a referral from MN RETAIN to State DW as you would any other walk-in referral.
Please note, the local area manager will continue to be included in all communication from DEED to their staff. This desk reference guide may be a helpful resource, or please contact info@mnretain.com to connect directly with the RETAIN team.
Federal Monitoring of WIOA Adult and DW:
- The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Employment and Training Division will be Monitoring WIOA Adult and Dislocated Worker in June of 2026. Dates and details, as well as local area, to be selected will be shared in the upcoming weeks.
- DOL Office of Inspector General will be conducting a two-week audit of various federal grants in May or June. Updates to be provided by Sr. leadership.
Reminders
- Quarterly Progress Reports (QPRs) for the period ending March 31, 2026, were due on April 30th.
- Monthly Financial Status Report (FSR)/Monthly Reimbursement Payment Request (RPR) are due the 20th day of the month following the preceding month-end.
- Cost category adjustment is allowed on the final Reimbursement Payment Request (RPR) if the total expended does not exceed the total approved budget. However, the Admin cost category must not exceed 10% of total reimbursed.
- Any remaining unused funds will be reallocated to Local Areas that have spent out their PY24 funds (WIOA Adult & DW).
Please email all requests, reports, and technical assistance questions to the Dislocated Worker Federal Adult Programs general email at dwfaprograms.deed@state.mn.us.
 Upcoming Program Year 2026 & 2027 State Performance Negotiations:
- Minnesota will be negotiating with the Department of Labor on May 27, 2026.
Local Area Performance Negotiation and Determination of Failure Policy:
Upcoming Mass Closure of Workforce One Activities funded by Expired Grants:
- PY2024 Allocation, PY2023 Reallocation, and expiring mass layoff project Closeouts for the Dislocated Worker (DW) and WIOA Adult (AD) Programs:
- If your participant will be continuing receiving a service currently supported by PY2024 allocations, PY2023 reallocations, or expiring mass layoff projects after June 30, 2026, a new activity will need to be opened for each continuing service the participant will move forward receiving.
Reminder: All Dislocated Worker and WIOA Adult program year formula allocations (small layoff grants/WIOA Adult allotments) remain active for two years.
- PY2024 = July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2026
- PY2025 = July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2027
- PY2026 = July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2028
- This means their new activity will need a PY2025 or PY2026 formula grant selected within them depending on your agency’s budget. PY2026 allocation funding streams will be activated as soon as those contracts are executed through DEED’s Fiscal team.
IMPORTANT PY24 ALLOCATION & PY23 REALLOCATION WF1 CLOSEOUT INFORMATION
- All activities with a PY2024 allocation, PY23 reallocation, or expiring mass layoff project selected within them cannot have a start date after June 30, 2026. They must also have an end date no later than June 30, 2026.
- If any participant will continue receiving a service captured in an activity that is currently showing a PY2024 allocation, PY23 reallocation, or expiring mass layoff project supporting that service financially, that activity needs to be copied within the participant’s WF1 activity detail screen.
- The new activity will need a start date of July 1, 2026.
- An active funding source (PY2025 or PY2026) will need to be selected as the grant financially supporting the continued service.
- To help in this funding source transition:
- Mohamed Farah will mass close all currently open PY24 allocation, PY23 Reallocations, and expiring mass layoff project funded activities with an end date of June 30, 2026, which means you will only need to open/copy the old activities.
- If you want to close the old activities yourself with a date no later than 06/30/2026, that is perfectly fine.
- If you choose not to close them yourself, it will be taken care of for you.
- This mass activity closure will begin August 3, 2026.
- If there are cases without open activities on record showing an active grant as the funding source, the mass closure will not work for those cases.
- Any cases that show they cannot be included in this mass activity closure will be emailed to the management team for the COFFR funding the case.
- This communication will include directions on how the case manager will need to correct their data.
- Shortly after July 1, 2026, new funding streams will be added to your dropdown lists for PY2026 allocations.
- The date these new funding streams will be available depends on when PY2026 contracts are in place.
- Your management teams will be alerted as soon as your agency’s PY2026 funding streams are available in WF1.
Please email all requests, reports, and technical assistance questions to the performance team’s general email address: performanceap.deed@state.mn.us
CareerForce.MN.gov Job Search Tool Tip Sheet for Job Seekers
The Job Search landing page on CareerForce.MN.gov got more than 150,000 pageviews in the past month, so we know many job seekers are using this tool.
If you want to encourage job seekers you are working with to utilize the Job Search Tool on CareerForce.MN.gov, please share the link!
You may wish to also share this handout, linked below, that lists the key features of the Job Search Tool on CareerForce.MN.gov.
The handout also highlights the benefits of searching for employment on CareerForce.MN.gov versus on a commercial job search site.
Download the Job Search Tool Tip Sheet for Job Seekers
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Contact the CareerForce Information and Assistance line at 651-259-7500 or careerforce@state.mn.us if you have questions.
 Due to the federal government shutdown in October/November 2025, some datasets were interrupted. After a brief hiatus, we were able to republish the Alternative Measures of Unemployment, updated through February 2026. Minnesota's unemployment rate has been climbing steadily over the past year, and the data show increases in several areas. For example, the number of discouraged, marginally attached, and involuntary part-time workers all jumped over the past year. The broadest measure of unemployment, U-6, includes all of the above, and increased to 8.1% this year compared to 6.6% in February 2025.
In February, the number of long-term unemployed stood at 24,400 people, which was up from 16,100 a year ago, meaning the share of long-term unemployed rose to 17.1%, up from 15.2% a year ago. Likewise, the median duration of unemployment was at 9.9 weeks, which is up from 9.6 weeks one year ago. Long-term unemployment - lasting more than 27 weeks - imposes costs on people that go well beyond lost wages, including lower future earnings. These datasets are useful additional indicators of the health of the state’s economy.
If you'd like to learn more about how to use our data tools in your work, our Regional Analysts have a series of Labor Market Information training sessions scheduled for the summer, with the next session on May 19 and the last on June 18. These sessions are all held virtually, so you can attend from anywhere in the state, and will cover a wide range of topics including Career Exploration, Occupations in Demand, Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, and regional economic conditions.
If you have questions about Labor Market Information, please email deed.lmi@state.mn.us.
This newsletter is meant for DEED Grantees, Providers, and Employment Counselors. We want this e-Newsletter to meet your needs! We encourage you to send your comments and suggestions to deed.taa@state.mn.us.
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