It’s now taking 10 to 12 weeks for Coloradans to get new unemployment claims processed by the state Department of Labor and Employment. There hasn’t been a sudden rise in new claims. Rather, said Philip Spesshardt, director of CDLE’s division of unemployment insurance, it’s the older pandemic claims that are “now being adjudicated.”

The CDLE said it takes about four to six weeks for an unemployment claim to be processed. However, multiple applicants told 13 Investigates it’s taking two to three times as long.

Tuesday, the state's unemployment office clarified that while there are 114,400 unemployed people in Colorado, there are only 47,981 total active unemployment claims, and 2.5% of that number --...

If you haven't already, call the customer service center at 303-318-9000 and ask for an escalation if it's been over 12 weeks from when you filed. Waits of 2-4 months are fairly common still if you need an interview for job separation. If you were laid off it's usually quicker.

The 10-to-12 week delay that has been going on since at least July now has some claims taking “up to 16 weeks, depending on the complexity of the claim,” said Phillip Spesshardt, director of the Division of Unemployment Insurance at Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.