Update from the Colorado Department of Labor on unemployment claims

More than 67,000 Coloradans filed for unemployment last week, bringing the number over the last four weeks to nearly 280,000.

This is the highest unemployment has been in the state since June 2013.

On Monday, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) began accepting claims online from those self-employed, gig workers and others not typically eligible for unemployment. In the last four days, the department has received more 30,000 claims online from these workers.

11 News has received many calls from people concerned because they filed a pay request around the 19th that was supposed to be fulfilled within 72 hours but had not gotten any money. In a teleconference Thursday, CDLE said they received 95,000 payment requests between the 19-21 and acknowledged they were behind sending money out. The Department of Labor said they expected to be caught up by Friday.

CDLE also acknowledged the problems people have been having contacting the department by phone or online, saying that the call center and online services were not set up for the floor of people who began requesting unemployment aid due to the pandemic.

El Paso County had some of the highest unemployment claims in the state, with Denver, Arapahoe, Jefferson and Adams counties rounding out the top five.