After two months of increases, pandemic unemployment claims are down slightly in Colorado; however, regular unemployment claims continue to rise, according to data released Thursday by the Department of Labor and Employment.

For the week ending Dec. 26, there were 19,555 initial pandemic unemployment claims, a decrease of nearly 5,000 claims from the previous week.

Dispute the dip, the number of weekly claims is still the third-highest since the program began in April.

Initial regular unemployment claims increased for the 10th week in a row, hitting 25,360 for the week ending Dec. 26 — the highest number of weekly claims since May.

Continued claims for regular unemployment also saw another increase, rising to 102,851 for the fourth consecutive week after more than four months of decline.

Colorado’s unemployment rates are some of the worst in the country.

A WalletHub study from Dec. 17 found that Colorado had the third-largest increase in weekly unemployment claims in the country and the 14th-largest increase in total claims since the pandemic began.

The most recent data show Denver County making up more than 17% of the state’s weekly pandemic unemployment claims (4,231) and over 14% of regular unemployment claims (2,994).

Denver is followed by El Paso County with 3,229 pandemic claims and 2,881 initial claims.

Restaurant workers make up the bulk of Colorado’s unemployed, accounting for 14.6% of unemployment claims for the week ending on Dec. 12.

They are followed by elementary and secondary school workers with 5.8% and employment service workers and hospital works, each with 3.2%.