First-time unemployment insurance claims in Colorado fell by more than a third last week from the record-setting previous week, but the numbers still reflect a workforce devastated by the coronavirus pandemic.

Claims for the week ended April 18 totaled 67,334, down from 104,217 a week earlier, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment reported Thursday. That pushed the total for the past four weeks to nearly 280,000.

Colorado’s unemployment rate highest in five years with worst still ahead

If all are counted as unemployed, that would push the state’s unemployment rate to more than 13%. The numbers don’t yet include those who are self-employed, independent contractors and “gig” workers who began filing for unemployment insurance benefits on Monday. More than 30,000 people in those categories have filed claims this week and will be included in data released April 30.

The 279,199 claims in the last four weeks is nearly triple the total for all of 2019 and just 6,000 fewer than the annual record set in 2009. County- and industry-level data for the week of April 11 will be released Friday. The industries with the highest number of claims in the week ending April 4 include hotels and restaurants, nearly 13,000; retail, more than 10,000; and health care (doctor, dental, optical and chiropractic offices), nearly 9,000.

The state paid $74.1 million in unemployment insurance benefits last week and $165.9 million this month, shattering the previous monthly record of $102.8 million set in May 2009.