Nearly 40,000 workers in northeast Minnesota have filed unemployment applications with the state since March 15.

As of May 21, a total of 39,884 workers within the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Northeast Planning Region filed for unemployment insurance, according to DEED statistics.

St. Louis County topped the seven-county Northeast Planning Region with 25,191 unemployment applications. Itasca County was next (5,365) followed by Carlton County (4,046), Aitkin County (1,579), Lake County (1,527), Koochiching County (1,133) and Cook County (1,043).

Cook County leads the state with 33.8% of its 2019 annual labor force filing for unemployment from March 16 to May 21. Roseau County is at 33.6%.

Since March 16, 702,543 Minnesota workers have filed for unemployment.

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