The Denver teachers union and Denver Public Schools reached a tentative agreement that raises wages an average of 8.7%, sets starting salary a little above $50,000, and promises teachers more planning time during the work day. The announcement of a deal Thursday comes after a marathon bargaining session between the Denver Classroom Teachers Association and district leaders […]
paycheck
Posted inBusiness, Economy, Equity, News
12 charts that tell you everything you need to know about Colorado’s Paycheck Protection loans
Now we know. Denver breakfast chain Snooze made it through the first year of COVID-19 thanks to a $10 million Paycheck Protection Program loan. Snooze’s loan was forgiven on June 11, according to data provided by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Same with Intrepid Potash, a Denver fertilizer manufacturer that said it received full forgiveness […]
Posted inBusiness, Economy, News
Federal loans saved Colorado salons last year. But now other economic forces are cutting their profits.
When Deseo Salon and BlowDry in Denver was forced to close for two months in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, owner Sherry Velarde didn’t know what was in store for the future. Like hundreds of thousands of Colorado businesses, Velarde applied for a federal Paycheck Protection Program loan, the popular COVID-19 relief aid for […]
Posted inBusiness, Climate, News, Wildfire
As wildfires rage in the West, Biden temporarily raises federal firefighter pay to $15/hr
By Aamer Madhani, The Associated Press The Biden administration said Wednesday it is hiring more federal firefighters — and immediately raising their pay — as officials ramp up response efforts in the face of a severe drought that is setting the stage for another destructive summer of intense wildfires across the West. President Joe Biden […]
Posted inBusiness, Economy, News
Colorado’s smallest small businesses can now get larger federal coronavirus loans
Samantha Wranosky thought she was all set. As the owner of Samantha B Design in Fort Collins, the graphic designer applied, was approved for and received her first Paycheck Protection Program loan on Feb. 9. She skipped the opportunity last year because she didn’t think she’d qualify for the federal relief loans, which were very […]
Posted inBusiness, Economy, News
What’s Working: Colorado’s unemployment system is … working? Some readers say “yes.”
Getting unemployment pay in Colorado was not problem-free this week. But after two months with no benefits for thousands, this week brought joy as money finally made it to bank accounts — and offered hope to others still waiting. I’m talking about Kevin Saunders, the fellow from Parker who was crushed after reopening his claim […]
Posted inBusiness, Economy, News
What’s Working: What we learned after a week of Colorado paying pandemic unemployment benefits
Colorado saw another intense week of job news with several examples of what’s working and what’s really not. As 230,000 out-of-work residents clamored to reopen their unemployment accounts on Monday, there was joy and pain, relief and frustration, clogged support lines and some who gave up and then got paid anyway. My conclusion: Nothing makes […]
Posted inBusiness, Economy, News
What’s Working: Here’s how Colorado is rolling out federal unemployment benefits, plus Paycheck loans are hopping
The biggest news of the week, at least for unemployed Coloradans, is that federal benefits could start as soon as Jan. 29. No need to remind the unemployed what those are, but let’s do it anyway: This is the $300 weekly bonus for 11 weeks, otherwise known as Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC). The state […]
Posted inBusiness, Economy, News
What’s Working: How ID.me will help get the jobless paid, a Denver program offering employers $6,000 to hire
Three weeks have passed since federal unemployment benefits ended. While new federal aid is still expected to start by early February, one of the holdups was revealed Thursday when the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment announced it would start using a new identity verification system called ID.me within 2 weeks. The technology, now being […]
Posted inBusiness, Economy, News
What’s Working: Colorado unemployment system getting rebuilt, new round of Paycheck Protection loans start Monday
Everyone is crossing their fingers that the technology overhaul underway to update the Colorado unemployment computer system will be completed successfully by Sunday. Blame the pandemic for the nine-months-ish long delay. The new tech was supposed to be installed in April, but was postponed when the state realized it had to implement a new system […]