A crackdown on fraudulent unemployment claims in Colorado resulted in a 42.1% drop in people seeking the $600 benefit paid weekly out of federal coronavirus relief funds. The state Department of Labor and Employment declined to share how scammers were able to claim millions in benefits, but said new fraud detection measures and limiting backdating […]
employment
Posted inBusiness, COVID, News
Nearly one-third of new pandemic unemployment claims last week were fake, Colorado’s labor department says
A large number of first-time claims for unemployment benefits filed last week in Colorado are suspected of being fraudulent, the state’s Department of Labor and Employment said Friday. An investigation found that nearly a third of new Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims filed last week, or about 5,600, are likely fake. The labor department stopped paying […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Littwin: Neil Gorsuch’s ruling for LGBTQ rights proves that irony is not quite dead
I have long insisted that in the age of Trump, irony has died along with it. But then comes Neil Gorsuch to prove me wrong. In a startling 6-3 decision, with a startling majority opinion written by the ultra-conservative Gorsuch, the Supreme Court has ruled that LGBTQ people are, well, like all other people and […]
Posted inBusiness, COVID, News
Colorado unemployment filings decline for sixth straight week, though payouts remain high
Unemployment filings in Colorado declined for the sixth straight week last week as an increasing number of businesses in the state reopen their doors after being shut down because of the coronavirus crisis. The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment said on Thursday that 15,603 initial claims were filed last week by people normally eligible […]
Posted inBusiness, COVID, News, Technology
Only 6% of calls to Colorado’s unemployment line are getting answered. But changes are on the horizon.
After weeks of random and unsuccessful calls to the state’s unemployment phone number, Jamie Scappaticci set aside Tuesday to connect with any living soul who’d answer the unemployment help line at 800-388-5515. The first-time filer had mistakenly let her benefits lapse in mid-April because she didn’t realize those on unemployment must request a payment every […]
Posted inBusiness, COVID, News
25,000 more Coloradans filed for unemployment last week, bringing coronavirus total to 476,000
More than 25,000 more Coloradans filed initial unemployment claims last month, bringing the total number of people in the state who have sought jobless benefits since the coronavirus crisis began to about 476,000. Of the new filings, 17,825 were regular unemployment claims while 7,633 were among gig workers and the self-employed, who traditionally aren’t eligible […]
Posted inBusiness, COVID, News
The bad news? Colorado unemployment claims rose again last week. The good news? The pace is slowing.
More than 31,000 unemployment claims were filed last week in Colorado, bringing the number of people who have sought relief from the state since the coronavirus crisis began its economic toll about two months ago to roughly 451,000. The new filings include 22,483 regular claims submitted by people who are normally eligible for unemployment insurance […]
Posted inBusiness, COVID, News
Another 79,000 Coloradans filed for unemployment last week, bringing coronavirus total to more than 350,000
Another 79,000 initial unemployment claims were filed in Colorado last week. That brings the total number people who have sought aid after losing their jobs since the coronavirus crisis began in the state to more than 358,000. Of the initial unemployment claims filed last week, 38,384 were among people normally eligible for unemployment and 40,906 […]
Posted inCartoons, Opinion
What’d I Miss?: Trickle up economics
Myra has missed 30 years of her life, due to a coma, but has found a new friendship with her young neighbor, Ossie. Together, they both are searching for their place in this world. < Previous | Start from the beginning | More cartoons from The Colorado Sun
Posted inBusiness, COVID, News
Colorado unemployment claims slowed last week, but are still far outpacing Great Recession levels
Gig workers and other independent contractors can start applying for unemployment benefits next week, at the earliest, according to Colorado’s labor department, which is still preparing its computer systems to accept the new type of applicants for the first time. Such workers typically don’t qualify for benefits because they don’t pay into the state unemployment […]