Unemployment claims continue in Colorado, Gov. has plan to get unemployed back to work

NEWS RELEASE
COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT
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Today the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) reported that an estimated 4,132 regular initial unemployment claims were filed the week ending May 15th. There were also 712 Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) initial claims filed for the same week. Since mid-March 2020, an estimated total of 935,203 regular initial unemployment claims have been filed for a grand total of 1,205,142 claims, when the PUA program is included.*

For the week ending May 8th, the number of continued weeks requested totaled 188,427. That includes the following totals by UI program: regular UI (58,324), PUA (50,976), and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) (79,127). CDLE estimates those continued claims were filed by approximately 160,984 individuals (54,690 for regular UI; 40,518 for PUA, and 65,776 for PEUC).** Weekly initial and continued claims figures can be viewed in the attached PDF at the end of this press release.

*Note: CDLE will provide revisions to initial and continued claims data in next week’s press release. These revisions will go back to early January 2021 and will incorporate official adjustments for fraudulent activity. 

As announced yesterday, Governor Jared Polis has issued an Executive Order creating the Colorado Jumpstart program. Colorado Jumpstart is a return to work incentive program administered by CDLE, designed to help make the transition back to work for unemployed Coloradans, a successful one. Eligible claimants who return to work full time in May will receive a Colorado Jumpstart incentive payment of $1,600. Those who return to work full time in June will receive a payment of $1,200. Newly employed workers must maintain full time employment for at least eight weeks to receive the full incentive. A full list of eligibility requirements is posted on ColoradoUI.gov.

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