Colorado’s unemployment rates are returning to record-breaking peaks from the first two months of the COVID-19 pandemic as cases rise and businesses close throughout the state.

In the week ending Nov. 28, 17,130 regular unemployment claims were filed, according to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. 

That is the highest number of claims since May 16 and a sharp increase compared to recent months. Before November, regular claims hadn’t exceeded the 7,000s since July.

Pandemic unemployment claims are rising even more drastically, hitting 14,242 in the week ending Nov. 28 – nearly double the previous week’s 7,369 and more than triple the 4,188 claims from the week before.

This is the highest number of pandemic claims since June 13.

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Colorado currently has the third-slowest recovery for weekly unemployment claims in the country, according to a report by WalletHub.

More than $6.3 billion in unemployment assistance has been paid to Coloradans since March, including $2.3 billion from regular unemployment claims and $854.2 million from pandemic unemployment claims.

Accommodation and food service workers have made up the plurality of recent claims in the state, accounting for 20.2% of all unemployment claims made in the week ending on Nov. 14.

Construction and health care workers are close behind, making up 11.5% and 9.6% of claims.