In the potpourri of Colorado unemployment news this week, here’s what happened: State Extended Benefits ended Saturday. Colorado’s legislature passed a bill to reinstate the extended benefits through the end of the year. (More below) Someone at the Department of Labor let the internet domain expire for the page unemployed workers go to request payments. […]
What’s Working, a column on Colorado jobs, work and the pandemic economy
Posted inBusiness, COVID, News
What’s Working: Why nearly 100,000 out-of-work Coloradans were excluded from an unemployment benefit that is now ending early
Several questions came in this week asking about why a program offering an extra 13 weeks of unemployment benefits is ending four weeks early. Stop reading if you’re on Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) because this doesn’t impact you (although, don’t forget, PUA benefits end Dec. 26). But read on if you’re on regular unemployment, Pandemic […]
Posted inBusiness, COVID, Culture, Food and Restaurants, News
What’s Working: Ugh, what a week for Colorado restaurants, small businesses and the already unemployed
It’s been a rough week for much of Colorado’s workforce. As the spike in COVID-19 cases caused 15 counties to impose new business restrictions on Friday, the most affected industries are bracing for thousands of new layoffs. For those just tuning in, the latest clampdown for counties in the new red zone means no more […]
Posted inBusiness, COVID, News, Politics and Government
What’s Working: Minimum wage going to $12.32, plus how new COVID restrictions (and fraud?) has doubled unemployment
The number of new weekly unemployment cases has been inching higher for weeks with the latest number now double what it was in late September. That tracks to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Colorado and resulting local business restrictions. But the sudden uptick has the state Department of Labor and Employment wondering whether […]
Posted inBusiness, News
What’s Working: As coronavirus cases increased, so did the number of Coloradans filing for unemployment
As coronavirus cases in Colorado are on the rise again, so are business restrictions and, ultimately, the number of Coloradans finding themselves newly unemployed. The number of folks on unemployment for the first time increased 25% during the week of Halloween from the prior week, pushing over 10,000 for the first time since July 25. […]
Posted inBusiness, News
What’s Working: A new $375 stimulus, small business grants and tales from Colorado’s unemployment queue
With just a few days before the election, Congress appears to be not one bit closer to another round of COVID-19 relief than it was in late July, when special pandemic unemployment benefits ended. Hence, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis figured out how to offer a one-time $375 payment to almost anyone on unemployment between March […]
Posted inBusiness, News
What’s Working: Colorado unemployment rate drops to 6.4%, $19 million for small businesses, plus “Lost Wages” leftovers
The deadline to claim up to $1,800 in bonus federal unemployment benefits is today for thousands of jobless Coloradans. But political differences continued to thwart any new coronavirus relief plans from moving forward in Congress to help struggling Americans, businesses and industries. On Wednesday, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, pushed a $500 billion […]
Posted inBusiness, News
What’s Working: Unemployment backlogs, backdates and overpayments in Colorado
The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment first dealt with the onslaught of coronavirus-related unemployment claims, now nearing 750,000 new claims. Then it had to figure out how to pay gig workers, who became eligible for the first time, thanks to the federal CARES Act. Then came the barrage of fraudulent claims by scammers trying […]
Posted inBusiness, News
What’s Working: “Lost wages” gets a new deadline, overpayment forgiveness, small business updates and more
Remember M. Hurley, who started a petition last month to bring attention to the plight of jobless Coloradans suddenly facing a massive bill from the unemployment office? The M was Meggan, and I spoke to her the day after President Donald Trump told officials to stop negotiating a new relief plan until after the election […]
Posted inBusiness, News
What’s Working: One third of Colorado’s share of “Lost Wages” still unclaimed, plus a new portal to the unemployment office
What’s Working is a new Colorado Sun weekly column for those who’ve lost a job, are looking for one or need to hire someone. Ask us your questions, share your stories and read the archive. The $553 million was expected to go fast. And two weeks after the first Lost Wages Assistance payments were sent […]