Gov. Doug Ducey's decision to jumpstart Arizona's economy by loosening social distancing protocols may have worked.

The Arizona Department of Economic Security reported 22,290 Arizonans filed first-time claims for jobless benefits last week.

That's the lowest weekly number since the governor began ordering COVID-19 restrictions in late March.

→ Waiting On Assistance: Some Arizonans Still Haven't Gotten Unemployment Benefits

Since then, nearly 626,000 Arizonans have sought unemployment benefits.

DES also reported that 59,086 people applied for federal aid from the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance last week.  That's generally given to Americans who are not entitled to regular jobless benefits, like the self-employed.

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