Read our full analysis:
northstarpolicy.org/medical-assistance-or-tax-cuts/
#TaxDay

The impact isn’t equal:

Rural communities, children, and communities of color rely more heavily on Medical Assistance, meaning they are hit hardest by these cuts.

Here’s what that means for Minnesotans:
-Working families lose critical access to health care
- The bottom 20% of households see real income losses
- The richest households walk away with tens of thousands in tax benefits

This Tax Day, we’re thinking about how working families are paying the price for Trump’s massive tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, offset by nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts.

“Most of the human cost of the past few months cannot be undone through state assistance. But the economic damage from Operation Metro Surge provides an opportunity for the state to take meaningful, reparative action.” 👏👏👏 — @aaronrosenthal.bsky.social, Research Director at NSPA

Source: WCCO

This is what happens when federal immigration enforcement destabilizes workers and local economies.

Read the full report: northstarpolicy.org/metro-surge-...

The hardest hit? The industries most impacted by immigration enforcement.

➡️ Leisure & hospitality lost 4,000 jobs in one month
➡️ 3,300 from restaurants & food service

The largest non-pandemic drops since 2007.

For the first time since 2007, Minnesota’s unemployment rate has surpassed the national rate.

NEW REPORT: State data confirms that Operation Metro Surge had a damaging impact on Minnesota’s economy, particularly for workers and businesses in the Twin Cities.

northstarpolicy.org/metro-surge-...

Without regulation, the use of AI for workplace surveillance and data collection creates real potential for exploitation by large corporations and employers, and with disproportionate impacts.

Minnesota has a chance to lead and make sure workers aren’t being left behind.

We testified in the MN Senate today in support of commonsense protections for workers as AI rapidly reshapes the workplace.

Our research shows that though 1 in 3 Minnesota workers are at high risk of exposure to generative AI, women and workers in low-union occupations still face the highest risk.

This bill would set a basic rule:
👉Your wages shouldn’t be determined by surveillance data.

Workers deserve transparency, fairness, and control not AI algorithms deciding their pay.

Companies are using AI and surveillance data like your browsing history, location, or personal characteristics to decide how much to pay you.

That means two people doing the same job could be paid differently based on data collected about them, often without their knowledge.

Today we’re testifying in support of a bill to ban surveillance-based wage discrimination in the Minnesota House.

Here’s what that means:

As AI technologies rapidly expand across workplaces, policymakers have an opportunity to ensure innovation benefits workers, not just employers. With AI adoption accelerating, Minnesota has a chance to put commonsense protections in place so workers aren’t left behind.

Despite the rapid adoption of AI across industries, with nearly 80% of U.S. companies now using AI and more than 70% using Generative AI, Minnesota currently has no laws governing the use of AI in employment decisions or workplace surveillance.

Our research shows that more than 800,000 Minnesota workers, roughly one in three, are employed in jobs with high exposure to Generative AI, meaning AI tools could perform more than half of the tasks currently done by workers in those roles.

Minnesota and AI Worker Protections YouTube video by North Star Policy Action

Today we testified before the MN House Workforce, Labor & Economic Development Committee on our research on Generative AI’s impacts on MN workers.

The testimony comes as lawmakers introduce bills to set guardrails for AI in the workplace.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh4B...

What path is Minnesota going to take? YouTube video by North Star Policy Action

800,000 Minnesota workers are at high risk of exposure to generative AI.

AI is rapidly reshaping workplaces but Minnesota lawmakers have yet to pass any AI regulations or worker protections.

Our Research Director outlined the paths for moving forward on WCCO:

www.youtube.com/shorts/lsCLK...

MN Workers Lost Over $100 million from Operation Metro Surge

$106 million.

That’s how much workers in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area lost in wages during Operation Metro Surge according to our new research at North Star Policy Action.

This week, Planet Money’s The Indicator broke down our findings.

Listen to the clip:

youtube.com/source/UbdcS...

How can Minnesota Regulate Generative AI in the workplace? YouTube video by North Star Policy Action

Yesterday on Fox 9, our Research Director @aaronrosenthal.bsky.social, broke down what MN lawmakers can do to regulate AI and protect workers.

1 in 3 MN workers face high exposure to Generative AI yet Minnesota has not passed laws governing AI’s use in the workplace. m.youtube.com/shorts/TXUyB...

This is such important work, and practically in real time, which is very important. Also, shows economists can apply our skills to aid the resistance!

New research with @aaronsojourner.org of the @upjohninstitute.bsky.social posted on @northstarpolicy.org's blog. We find that Operation Metro Surge caused declines in employees working, hours worked, and businesses open, leading to an estimated $106 million wage loss for Twin Cities workers.

The situation echoes the economic ripple effects we saw during the pandemic, but unlike then, federal action is what caused this disruption.

Read the full report: northstarpolicy.org/labor-outcom...

Our new analysis shows that from January 3 to February 17, the Twin Cities metro saw sharp economic declines:
• Employment declined by 2.8%
• Total hours worked dropped 1.9%
• Operating business locations fell 1.7%

BREAKING: In just six weeks, Minnesota workers lost over $100 million in wages due to Operation Metro Surge.

This means millions of dollars didn’t make it to Minnesota families and small businesses, a conservative estimate that likely understates the full impact.

Our new report makes three things clear:

1. AI plays an increasingly large role in MN workers' lives.
2. Workers are anxious about this role and believe new regulations are needed.
3. MN policymakers need to pass commonsense laws to align AI innovation with worker welfare.

Innovation and technology can’t come at the expense of working people. Read the full report: northstarpolicy.org/generative-ai/

Despite accelerating adoption of generative Ai and rising worker anxiety, Minnesota has passed no laws governing AI’s use in the workplace.

At the same time, federal actions have sought to limit states’ ability to regulate AI.

The impacts aren’t evenly distributed.

Women and workers in low-union occupations face greater GenAI exposure.