COVID In Colorado: Department Of Labor Urges Businesses To Keep Employees Working During Level Red
DENVER (CBS4)- As more people are losing their jobs, especially at restaurants as more counties move into Level Red on the COVID-19 dial, they will also be losing their unemployment benefits. Next Saturday, the state benefits for unemployed Coloradans will run out.
One month later, money from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act will expire on December 31. That money is funding most of the pandemic unemployment assistance. The state labor department is trying to be proactive with employers to keep workers through the holidays.
"We would encourage them to explore work share as an option," Cher Hobbins with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, said. "It's a benefit not just to the worker but to the employer. We are sending out today, as a matter of fact, an email to about 80,000 employers that we have, emails for promoting as an alternative to a layoff situation."
The labor department also plans to hire two outside companies to assess and improve its customer service. This comes as Colorado's unemployment rate was 6.4% in October, unchanged from the month prior.
A bit of good news? Some help is on the way. The state will send out its own stimulus checks of $375 next week.
