Losing your job due to a layoff, a company move or slow business is a tough experience, but temporary relief in the form of unemployment benefits is available in Minnesota and other states, supplemented by federal extensions. The Minnesota unemployment law covers eligibility requirements as well as the case of an unemployed worker moving out of state.

Residency Test

You must furnish your name, address, and Social Security number when filing for Minnesota unemployment, as well as the name and address of your last employer and all employers over the last 18 months. You can apply immediately upon losing your job or having your hours substantially reduced. The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, the managing agency, accepts applications online or over the phone.

Other Requirements

You must have worked in Minnesota during the last 12 to 15 months in order to be eligible for Minnesota unemployment. You must not have lost your job through your own actions, which means either quitting the job or being fired for just cause (such as negligence, endangerment or absenteeism). You must be willing to work and be actively looking for work, and you can't be disabled.

Benefit Amounts and Conditions

Unemployment benefits in Minnesota amount to about half your final wage, up to a weekly limit of $629 as of 2013. As a beneficiary, you must make a request for payment either online or by phone each week to continue drawing unemployment. You must inform the state agency if you move or travel; benefits stop during periods when you travel outside your "commuting area" unless the purpose of the travel is to seek work. If you move out of state, you must continue to seek work to remain eligible.

Extended Benefits

With the economic recession beginning in 2008, the federal government passed Emergency Unemployment Compensation. Still in effect at the end of 2013, the program provided up to 14 weeks of extended benefits to those exhausting their regular unemployment. However, under Minnesota law, beneficiaries can only draw on two weeks of these extended benefits if they have moved out of state. After the two-week period passes, your benefits cease unless the new state also offers extended unemployment benefits.