New SWA Platforms: Kentucky, Minnesota, and New Jersey

By: Tais Araujo and Bruno Nascimento

Quick Highlights:

• Kentucky, Minnesota, and New Jersey have all moved to a new shared SWA platform powered by the National Labor Exchange (NLx).
• Minnesota’s old system will stop accepting postings on June 5, 2026. Existing postings do not transfer automatically, and new postings now go through a 1 to 2 business day review before going live.
• Each account is tied to a single contact, and third-party agent access is required to manage multiple employers.
• Multi-factor authentication is now required in Minnesota and available in Kentucky and New Jersey.

Part of Park Advertising’s job is to track State Workforce Agency (SWA) changes, so you are never caught off guard. Right now, there is a development worth flagging: 3 states – Kentucky, Minnesota, and New Jersey – have recently moved their job-order portals onto a new shared system.

SWA job orders are a core piece of the PERM recruitment process. Posting an opening with the right state portal gives local job seekers fair access to the role and keeps the employer aligned with Department of Labor (DOL) recruitment rules. The DOL requires each job order to run for at least 30 consecutive days, but the platforms, posting fields, and timelines behind those orders are set state by state, which is exactly why these three changes are worth a closer look.

Kentucky, Minnesota, and New Jersey have each been modernizing their online workforce systems, and all three have now moved onto the National Labor Exchange (NLx), the platform powered by DirectEmployers. Each state keeps its own web address, but the account setup, login, and posting experience are largely the same across them.

In Kentucky, the new KY NLx platform went live on May 18, 2026. Employers who already have a Kentucky Employer Access account can keep using the current posting platform until July 2, 2026, when the move to the new system is finalized.

In Minnesota, MinnesotaWorks.net is being retired and replaced by CareerForce.MN.gov, which now serves as the primary system for job-order postings and work-search documentation. The new platform is more modern and mobile-friendly, with expanded job-search resources and easier access for users. The timeline is firm: as of June 5, 2026, MinnesotaWorks.net can no longer be used for job posting, and every job previously posted there will have its close date moved to that day. Postings will not transfer to CareerForce.MN.gov automatically. MinnesotaWorks.net then retires fully on June 10, 2026, after which any resumes stored on the old site will no longer be available.

In New Jersey, the NJ Job Bank Self-Service system was retired effective May 1, 2026. Since that date, the old system only allows employers to edit or delete jobs they had already posted, while any postings that were still active stay open in the internal state workforce system until their scheduled expiration dates. New accounts are now set up through New Jersey Employer Access for Businesses.

Across all three states, the new platform introduces a few operational changes employers should plan for:

The first is multi-factor authentication (MFA), which can be completed through either email verification or an authenticator application, adding a layer of security to employer accounts. Minnesota currently requires MFA on every login, while in Kentucky and New Jersey, it is available as an option that employers can turn on.

Account access also works differently than before. Each account is tied to a single contact and cannot hold multiple users. To post on behalf of additional companies, the platform uses third-party agent access (TPA). Through this, each person creates their own account with their own company’s information and then uses the “Add Another Employer Profile” option, available once logged in, to manage postings for the other employers they represent. Each new login or TPA must be reviewed and approved by that state’s staff.

The posting and approval process has changed as well. On the previous portals, a job order was often treated as live as soon as it was submitted. On the new platform, postings are reviewed by the state’s staff and may sit in a pending status before they go live. This typically lasts one to two business days, though most are currently clearing in under 24 hours. For PERM recruitment, this means building a little extra lead time into the schedule. Our team at Park monitors posting statuses daily to help clients stay on track and avoid recruitment delays.

As these systems keep evolving, staying current on SWA requirements, approval timelines, and mandatory posting fields matters more than ever for anyone running PERM recruitment. Park helps our clients and partners navigate the system changes, handle posting logistics, and keep their recruitment compliant across all three states. If you have questions about registering on any of the new platforms or adjusting to the changes, our team is happy to walk you through it. Please reach out directly to [email protected]!

Portal links and support contacts

Where do employers create and access their new accounts?

• Kentucky: https://post.ky.usnlx.com/
• Minnesota: http://laborexchange.mn.gov/jobs
• New Jersey: https://post.nj.usnlx.com/

Employer support contacts:

• Kentucky: [email protected]
• Minnesota: [email protected] and [email protected]
• New Jersey: [email protected]