(ONN) – The number of Ohioans signing up for unemployment benefits for the first time during the pandemic is declining, but still remains significant.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services says just under 33,000 people signed up last week, that’s 287,000 fewer than the biggest week for new filings recorded during the peak lay-offs in April.

Over the past 13 weeks 1,360,000 Ohioans have applied for jobless benefits, representing about a quarter of the state’s workforce who have either temporarily furloughed at some point or lost their job.

94 percent of the claims have been processed and the state has paid out about $4 billion in benefits.