Economy
Gov. Polis shifts tone from COVID-19 response to economic development, recovery
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has been shifting his tone at weekly and biweekly briefings on the state’s COVID-19 response: It’s less about the level of virus transmission, and more about economic development and recovery from the pandemic-era recession. “It’s really great to kind of see how our state is bouncing back from COVID,” Polis said […]
Paid family leave is good for workers and businesses
With Labor Day weekend behind us, it’s time for most of us to get back to work. But this November, Coloradans will get to decide if new parents can be paid to stay home. For most nations, the plethora of scientific evidence has already provided a resounding “yes” to paid family leave. Across multiple disciplines, […]
Have we forgotten the true meaning of Labor Day?
By Jay L. Zagorsky, Boston University Labor Day is a U.S. national holiday held the first Monday every September. Unlike most U.S. holidays, it is a strange celebration without rituals, except for shopping and barbecuing. For most people it simply marks the last weekend of summer and the start of the school year. The holiday’s […]
A legacy of worker appreciation in Colorado
Rarely in American history have workers faced such challenges as they do in 2020. On this Labor Day, in the middle of a pandemic, uncertainty over job security for many employees is exceeded only by the hazard of showing up for work. The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment announced this week that it had […]
LIVE: Gov. Polis gives COVID-19 briefing at 12:30 p.m. Sept. 3
Gov. Jared Polis is scheduled to give a live update at 12:30 p.m. Sept. 3 on Colorado’s COVID-19 response and economic resiliency. The news briefing will be conducted at the Governor’s Mansion in Denver. Scroll down for a livestream of the briefing, or watch on the governor’s Facebook page. University of Colorado President Mark Kennedy, […]
COGCC officials to be briefed on oil and gas health study ahead of setbacks decision
Colorado oil and gas commissioners will be briefed by state officials on the potential health risks of drilling ahead of a critical rulemaking decision, after all. Kristy Richardson, Colorado’s state toxicologist, is scheduled to deliver a presentation on a landmark public-health study to the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission Thursday afternoon, as commissioners prepare […]
Racial inequities in Colorado’s tax code highlighted as Proposition 116 fight looms
When Denver voters begin filling out their ballots next month, they’ll decide whether to approve two new 0.25% sales tax hikes to help the city tackle homelessness and climate change — and if both pass, they’ll become the fifth and sixth increases to Denver’s sales tax rate in the past two years, raising the total […]
Adult roommates: Millennials ‘double-up’ to face changing economic and social environments
After Caitye Davis graduated from the University of Colorado Denver, she didn’t care what she had to do: She was going to move out of her parents’ house. She ended up moving into a three-bedroom, 900-square-foot house with three other roommates, sharing a bedroom with one. After a while, the four of them moved into […]
State announces new Gap Fund for Colorado’s small businesses
Small business owners who may not have gotten federal coronavirus relief funds earlier in the pandemic — or who need additional help to stay afloat — can apply for grants and low-interest loans through a public-private partnership starting Aug. 31, Colorado officials announced. “There’s always more that unites us than separates us, and support for […]
Paid family and medical leave qualifies for Colorado ballot
Proponents of a ballot initiative establishing a new paid family and medical leave program in Colorado submitted enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot, the secretary of state’s office announced Aug. 25. Initiative 283 would provide 12 weeks of paid family or medical leave. Businesses with 10 or more employees would pay a premium […]
‘Desperate’ need for more federal COVID-19 aid, Colorado advocates say
Nearly a month after the expiration of a key federal aid program and two weeks after the U.S. Senate adjourned without passing new COVID-19 relief legislation, many Coloradans’ financial situations are growing more dire by the day, a panel of community advocates said Tuesday. Unemployment payments have dropped sharply. Rents and mortgages are going unpaid […]
Colorado unemployment claims tick up again, remain far above 2019 levels
Nearly 19,000 Coloradans filed initial claims for some kind of unemployment assistance last week, as workers across the state continue to feel the devastating economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. In a press release, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment said that 6,942 regular unemployment claims had been filed in Colorado in the week ending Aug. […]