Colorado will continue to pay federal unemployment benefits until the relief expires Sept. 6 even as 21 other states are now saying they’ll end their participation early, state officials said Tuesday. “Colorado will not be ending the federal unemployment benefits earlier than the September end date,” said Jessica Hudgins Smith, press secretary for the Division […]
unemployment
Posted inBusiness, Economy, News
What’s Working: Labor shortage or meager pay? The Colorado debate has begun.
Who isn’t hiring? A number of national companies announced they need more help this week and are increasing hourly pay for new hires, including Amazon, which is looking to hire 3,000 more people in Denver at $17 an hour. McDonald’s is another, offering $13 per hour at company-owned stores, and there’s also Chipotle, which is […]
Posted inBusiness, Economy, News, Technology
What’s Working: How ID.me navigates face masks and social engineering to battle Colorado unemployment fraud
The staggering five-plus-hours wait to complete the last step for receiving unemployment benefits has been whittled down by 60% after the company tasked with verifying user identities ramped up staffing. Two hours, though, is still a long time to wait on the phone or on a computer for your turn to talk to a human. […]
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What’s Working: Colorado’s construction industry is short on workers as housing prices skyrocket
In Loveland, J Gonzales says it’s been tough filling entry-level jobs to get the Allweather Wood manufacturing plant’s workforce back up to its full strength. The general laborer positions at the wood treatment plant involve physical labor, start at $18 an hour and offer forklift training to those who wish to move to a higher-paying […]
Posted inBusiness, Economy, News, Technology
What’s Working: Why there are at least 2,314 new technology jobs in Colorado
The number of Coloradans receiving unemployment benefits continues to decline as, presumably, people return to work. That doesn’t mean unemployment woes have vanished. Gaining steam in my inbox this week were people who said they were notified they had been paid too much and now must return money to the state. (More on overpayments below.) […]
Posted inBusiness, COVID, Economy, News
Unemployment fraudsters have cost Colorado at least $19.37 million
The state of Colorado has lost nearly $19.37 million to unemployment fraudsters since last year, officials from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment said Friday. That’s up from the $6.5 million in total fraud losses the department previously reported. The department has documented $437.2 million in fraudulent claims that it has prevented from being […]
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What’s Working: Gig companies want workers back and are paying bonuses in Colorado
To rev up its workforce, Uber pledged this week to spend $250 million to boost incomes of drivers nationwide. While details on how this would roll out were slim, an Uber spokeswoman shared what it means for Denver drivers: $30.56 an hour. That’s the median hourly rate — not including tips! — for drivers who […]
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Thousands of new openings post to Colorado’s official job board each week. Here’s where they come from.
When the coronavirus pandemic hit, Kurt Moe, an independent computer programmer, saw his work prospects dry up. The Longmont resident said he’s spent months searching for a new gig. He’s applied to more than 800 relevant jobs in his field and had only a handful of interviews. “I have had a few informal phone interviews, […]
Posted inBusiness, Economy, News
What’s Working: Colorado’s big BYE week for unemployment, the $10,200 tax question and our ongoing economic recovery
A year ago, Colorado was just realizing how serious the impact of pandemic safety measures were with a statewide stay-at-home order that pretty much halted in-person commerce. The week of April 5, 2020, became the worst week of unemployment the state had ever seen, with a record-setting 104,217 Coloradans filing their first jobless claim in […]
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Coloradans face hours-long delays as unemployment ID verification system is required for everyone receiving benefits
As fraud runs rampant, the state is now requiring those who haven’t been verified by the IDme tool to go ahead and do so in order to continue receiving jobless benefits.