New weekly unemployment claims in state hit 14,123, biometrics to be used to fight fraud

DENVER — An additional 14,123 people filed for traditional unemployment benefits in the week ending Jan. 9, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment said Thursday.

The department also revised the prior week’s figure from 41,439 to 25,178, saying that the previous number was warped due to seasonality and a spike in fraudulent claims due to the expiration of the CARES Act.

No claims were made for state-level Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, as President Donald Trump signed the latest round of federal stimulus a day after the deadline to keep the program running without interruption.

In…