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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits reached a record high in mid-January.

Last week initial claims for unemployment rose to more than half a million (588,000).

Currently nearly five million Americans have been on unemployment for at least one week. The U.S. has lost about two million jobs in the last four months.

Just pick up the classified ad sections. Where there used to be several pages of job listings, now there is just over a column.

The lack of jobs has people crowding into the Pikes Peak Workforce Center searching for opportunities.

"We had approximately 530 people in one day," said Dana Rodenbaugh M.Ed. and LCSW, for the Workforce Center.

Just this week the center has had to start limiting computer use because of long waits.

"We've set some limits around the area of three hours, because of the tendency of some folks to want to put five to six hours in," Rodenbaugh said.

There are actually about 30,000 unemployed southern Colorado residents, leading to intense competition.

"It won't be unusual for a single posting to be made and several hundred job applicants appear for that, maybe in a lot of cases," Rodenbaugh said.

"It's rough out," said job-searcher Benita Reynolds.

Reynolds lost her job about two weeks ago. She is struggling even with a degree in Criminal Justice.

"I feel like, I have a degree, I should be able to get a job like that with no problem, but that's not the case," Reynolds said. "Pretty much anything I don't want to apply for I'm applying for."

Job counselors say Reynolds has the right idea.

"That may mean the job I'm looking at for now is my second, third or fourth choice in an ideal world," Rodenbaugh said.

Essentially job seekers must be patient but assertive, realistic and not picky.

"Check everything," Reynolds said.

Economists are predicting the unemployment rates will increase until the summer peaking just under 8 percent.

Both state and federal lawmakers are looking into bills that will create new jobs.

The Pikes Peak Workforce Center has more than doubled the workshops they offer to better help those who have recently lost jobs. They are also opening an additional computer lab.

Here is a list of some of the free classes available in February.

Career Scope: Career Planning, Wednesdays, 1 - 4 p.m.

Job Shop: Guided Job Search,  Tuesdays, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Resume "Righting": Resume and Portfolio Design, Mondays, 2 - 4 p.m. and Wednesdays 10 a.m. - noon

Health Insurance: Alternatives to COBRA, Fridays, 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Interview Coaching: Practice Makes Perfect, Call (719) 667-3790 to schedule.

For a list of more classes, visit www.ppwfc.org. 

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