From Nina Davidson,
Your Guide to Denver.
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If Colorado workers are laid off from their jobs, they are eligible to receive unemployment benefits for six months from the state. In order to qualify for unemployment, residents must meet the following criteria:

• Applicants have become unemployed through no fault of their own.
• Applicants are U.S. citizens or legal residents.
• Applicants are ready and willing to accept work.
• Applicants must have earned at least $2,500 in wages.

Generally, applicants are not eligible for unemployment if they have been fired from a job for misconduct. The Colorado Department of Labor & Unemployment will contact former employers to ask about the circumstances of the dismissal. However, applicants may appeal decisions if they disagree with the employer's verdict.

How to File
To apply for unemployment online, visit the Colorado Department of Labor & Employment website. In the Denver area, call 303-318-9000 or the toll-free number at 1-800-388-5515 from the hours of 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Unemployment Claims
The amount of unemployment claims is calculated on a quarterly basis. In some cases, waiting to file until the next quarter may be beneficial if pay increased dramatically over the course of a year. In most cases, it will not make a big enough difference to worry about.

There is a one-week waiting period after applying for unemployment before applicants receive their first check. After that, if the claim is approved, unemployment benefits are paid weekly. The maximum weekly amount for 2008 is $455, or approximately $1820 per month based on a four-week month.