More Calls to Pay Minnesotans Bonuses to Go Back to Work

ST. PAUL -- A group representing small businesses in Minnesota is asking the legislature to give jobless Minnesotans a two-thousand-dollar bonus -- if they stop taking the 300-dollar-per-week extra federal unemployment benefit, go back to work, and stay on the job for at least 90 days.

National Federation of Independent Business Minnesota spokesman Mike Hickey says employers in a number of sectors desperately need to fill open positions:

"Here's a chance to get back to work and get a really nice 'payday' on top of it.... So many employers are complaining to us, and our jobs report showed just so many record-high (job) openings, and so many of these are in hospitality."

The bill, introduced by Republican Representative Dave Baker from Willmar, appears to be part of behind-closed-doors negotiations as lawmakers try to agree on the state budget for an expected special session in mid-June.

This story is courtesy of the Minnesotan News Network.

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