Surging claims from self-employed people, independent contractors and “gig” workers sent first-time unemployment claims higher last week for a second consecutive week, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment reported Thursday.

Claims for the week ending Sept. 26 climbed to 7,253, up 5% from the previous week. The increase came even as claims from payroll workers fell 3.3% to 4,840.

The claims by payroll workers are the least since the COVID-19 pandemic prompted state restrictions that closed many businesses.

However, claims from self-employed, independent contractors and gig workers under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program jumped 27.1% to 2,413, the highest weekly total since the week ending Aug. 29.

In another troubling sign, the number of people continuing to receive unemployment benefits rose 2.9% from the previous week to 238,326, the first such increase since the week ended Sept. 4.

The department also said that payroll workers applying for $300 a week in extra benefits under the Lost Wages Assistance program must certify by Oct. 10 that they are out of work due to the pandemic.

The agency has paid $338 million in such benefits to more than 200,000 people through Wednesday but estimates at least another 100,000 people are eligible for the payments.

In the Colorado Springs area, payroll workers filed 569 claims in the week ending Sept. 12, down 22.5% from the previous week. Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims from the area rose 3.9% from the previous week to 242 in the week ending Sept. 19. The department has received nearly 60,000 claims from area payroll workers and another 20,000 claims since mid-March.