during the shutdown, some 19,000 state employees were laid off. state and federal government employees in minnesota lost approximately $65 million in wages over the course of the shutdown. because of court rulings, some of the 36,000 state employees who received layoff notices leading up to the shutdown continued or returned to work during the shutdown. laid-off employees were immediately eligible for unemployment benefits, and continued to receive health insurance, costing the state millions a week.