In its continual moderately up-and-down trajectory for 2021, Colorado’s new jobless claims rose 19% to 14,123 for the week ending Feb. 20, according to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment Thursday.

There were 12,151 new claims filed the week prior. For the past six weeks, the new regular unemployment claims have dropped in four of those weeks and risen after the other two for an average weekly fluctuation of 13%.

Colorado paid $254 million in restored unemployment benefits in 4 days

In addition to those regular claims, 8,014 new contract, or gig, unemployment claims were filed that same week under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program. As of Tuesday, more than $254 million had been paid to 135,000 jobless Colorado contract and payroll workers since the “phase two” rollout for new claims, which began Saturday.

The agency also started processing new claims under the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) programs that resumed under stimulus legislation enacted in December. The PUA program pays benefits to self-employed and contract workers who lost revenue or assignments as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, while the PEUC program provides another 11 weeks of benefits for both contract and payroll workers.

According to department numbers, a combined total of 186,575 “continued” claims (not new) were filed as of the week ending Feb. 13: regular claims (71,617), PUA claims (76,330) and PEUC claims (38,628). Those claims were filed by about 118,802 individuals (each week represents a new claim, which is why some individuals have multiple claims).

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.