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Prices in the Mountain West are soaring. The Labor Department reported this week a year-to-year inflation rate of 8.5%, the highest rise in consumer prices since 1981. Broken down by region, the Mountain West stands out with a 10.4% spike.

Enhanced federal unemployment benefits that were put in place during the pandemic came to an end over the weekend. Roughly 107,000 Coloradans will lose their eligibility, according to state labor officials. About 30,000 will no longer receive an extra $300 per week. Tamara Chuang has been reporting on this for the Colorado Sun. She joined Colorado Edition to talk about what the end of these benefits will mean for unemployed people.

Colorado鈥檚 economy added 10,800 jobs in June as the pace of recovery cooled slightly, indicating a slow, but steady, rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unemployment rates vary significantly across the Mountain West as states lift COVID-19 restrictions and people get vaccinated.

The Republican governors of Idaho, Montana, Utah and Wyoming cite labor shortages and point to their state's low unemployment rates in announcing an end to pandemic unemployment compensation. How else might states coax people back to work? Raise the minimum wage.

Since the start of the pandemic, women have accounted for significantly more job losses than men 鈥� 5.4 million to 4.4 million, according to a CNN analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

As the spike in COVID-19 cases continues and businesses close, people are finding themselves out of work again. To survive, many are turning to the state's unemployment system for support. It鈥檚 a complex, messy system, not built for these unprecedented times and the unprecedented surge in demand. Tamara Chuang of the Colorado Sun tries to help readers navigate these hurdles each week through her 鈥淲hat's Working鈥� column. She spoke with KUNC鈥檚 Colorado Edition about what's going on with the State Extended Benefits program.

President Donald Trump says an executive order he signed on Saturday funds a $400 weekly supplement to unemployment benefits. But it likely won't be as helpful as it seems.

Housing advocates and landlords alike say if Congress doesn't extend or replace the extra payments expiring this weekend, millions of out-of-work Americans won't be able to afford to pay their rent.

New claims for unemployment benefits rise to 1.4 million, a sign that the labor market is deteriorating as businesses close their doors again after the pandemic intensifies.