Colorado Department of Labor and Employment requires weekly certification through MyUI+ at cdle.colorado.gov/unemployment. Colorado certifies weekly — you must complete certification for each individual week within the specified filing window. Colorado's most distinctive certification requirement: 5 work search activities per week, one of the highest minimums in the country. Log all 5 in MyUI+ before submitting each week's certification.
- Weekly certification in MyUI+. 5 work search activities required each week — log them before certifying.
- Report all wages earned during the week, even if payment hasn't arrived yet. Missing a certification window forfeits that week.
- Colorado's earnings disregard allows some part-time earnings before your benefit reduces — report all earnings accurately.
Always verify exact numbers, deadlines, and forms on the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment's official website – this page provides general guidance, not state-specific legal advice.
Completing Your 5 Weekly Activities
Colorado's 5 required weekly work search activities must be logged in MyUI+ before you submit your certification. Activities that count: specific job applications to specific employers; employer interviews; staffing agency contacts about specific placements; Colorado Workforce Center services (job referrals, resume assistance, career workshops with employer contact); job fair attendance with employer interaction; and networking contacts with specific employers about specific opportunities. Log each activity with the employer name, position, date, and method. General browsing and resume updates alone do not count.
Frequently Asked Questions
- 5 work search activities per week seems like a lot. What counts in Colorado?
- Colorado counts a broad range of activities: specific job applications (each counts as one activity); employer phone screens or interviews (count even if brief); Colorado Workforce Center appointments with job referrals; staffing agency contacts about placement; and networking contacts with specific individuals at specific companies about real opportunities. One employer can appear multiple times if you apply for different positions or have a phone screen and then an interview. Plan your week: 2-3 online applications, one Workforce Center appointment, one recruiter contact, and one interview follow-up gets you to 5 quickly in Colorado's active job market.
- I certified in MyUI+ without logging my 5 contacts first. Can I fix it?
- Contact Colorado CDLE immediately at 303-318-9000 (Denver metro) or 1-800-388-5515. If your certification was just submitted and not yet processed, CDLE may be able to add the work search documentation. If the certification has processed and your work search was found deficient, you may face a disqualification for that week — appeal within 20 days of the determination. Going forward, log your 5 activities in MyUI+ throughout the week and only certify after all 5 are entered.
- I missed my Colorado MyUI+ certification window. Can I still get paid for that week?
- Contact Colorado CDLE at 303-318-9000 as soon as possible. Colorado sometimes allows late certifications within a short window. If the certification deadline has passed, CDLE may reopen the week for good cause — documented illness, family emergency, or MyUI+ system outage. Act immediately — waiting extends the issue. Continue certifying all subsequent weeks on time while pursuing the missed week separately. Missing a single week at Colorado's $844/week maximum is significant.
- I started part-time work while collecting Colorado UI. How does that affect my weekly certification?
- Report all gross wages earned during the week in MyUI+ — even if you haven't been paid yet. Colorado applies an earnings disregard (a portion of your earnings that doesn't reduce your benefit), then reduces your benefit based on remaining earnings. If your earnings plus the disregard calculation result in a net benefit, Colorado pays it. If your earnings exceed your weekly benefit amount, Colorado pays nothing that week but the week counts as a benefit week against your 26. Continue certifying every week even while working part-time.
- Colorado requires 5 contacts, but I'm in a specialized field (aerospace, energy) with few openings. Is there flexibility?
- Colorado's 5-activity requirement applies regardless of your field. Use the full scope of qualifying activities: applications to adjacent roles, networking with former colleagues at specific companies, Workforce Center career services, informational interviews with industry contacts, and recruiter outreach. Colorado's CDLE Workforce Centers have sector-specific staff in aerospace, energy, and tech who can provide job referrals that count as valid activities. Five activities is achievable when you include the full range Colorado counts — not just direct job applications.