One hundred unemployed Minnesotans issued an open letter to Senator Norm Coleman Tuesday, urging him to change his position and support the federal program of jobless benefits. The 13-week extension program expired at the end of last year.

?Since late December, more than 18,000 Minnesotans have exhausted their regular state-funded unemployment benefits without finding new work,? said Carrie Thomas, policy director of the JOBS NOW Coalition, which released the letter. ?Unemployed workers need Senator Coleman to help deliver federal jobless benefits to them and their families without delay.?

Earlier this month, Coleman voted against the extension of jobless benefits, breaking ranks with 58 of his Senate colleagues, including 12 other Senate Republicans. Despite broad public support, Congressional leadership continues to block extension legislation.

President Bush will sign extension legislation if Congress sends him the measure, Treasury Secretary John Snow told Congress last week. The unemployed hope their letter will convince Coleman to push Senate leaders to pass the legislation.

Over the last three months, more unemployed workers have gone without federal support than at any time in more than 30 years, according to statistics cited by JOBS NOW. Never have so many jobless workers exhausted their regular state benefits without federal aid, the organization said. With the nation?s economy still more than 2 million jobs short of the pre-recession level, long-term unemployment is at a 20-year high.

One worker who signed the letter to Coleman noted there are 150 to 200 applicants for every marketing job she applies for. Others mentioned struggling to find work in the information technology sector.

?We need this extension in light of the jobless recovery situation in Minnesota,? said Michelle Marso of St. Louis Park. ?Until more jobs are created in a wide variety of industries, workers need this compensation in order to sustain their lives and the lives of their families.?