Breaking a four-week streak of declining new unemployment claims in Colorado, the state’s Division of Labor and Employment reported 14,018 new claims for the week ending Feb. 6.

That’s a 22% climb from the 10,989 new claims from the prior week, but nowhere near the 2021 high of 25,178 new claims filed the week ending Jan. 2.

Colorado’s unemployment level in December was 8.4%, the most recent update available. January’s unemployment level won’t be determined until March, according to the CDLE.

The nation’s unemployment rate stood at 6.3% — though Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Wednesday the nation’s real unemployment rate is closer to 10%.

“We are still very far from a strong labor market whose benefits are broadly shared, Powell said Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. “The pandemic has led to the largest 12-month decline in labor force participation since at least 1948.”

The CDLE reported 72,507 continued claims were filed from the regular unemployment insurance program for the week ending Jan. 30. Continued claims were carried over from 2020, not new.

The department also reported the phase one rollout for paying gig, or contract workers, totaled 111,366 claims filed. Phase one for those contract workers covered by Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) were for those with existing balances. New PUA claims can be filed after Feb. 22.

CDLE officials stated more than 104,000 contractor/gig workers have received more than $166 million in benefits since the phase one rollout began Feb. 1.