(The Center Square) – More than 1.5 million American workers filed new unemployment claims last week, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, down significantly from prior weeks but still a big number compared to pre-pandemic claims.

More than 43 million claims have been filed in the three months since state and local governments started restrictions that closed businesses deemed nonessential to slow the spread of COVID-19, but millions of those workers have since gone back to work as those restrictions have eased.

Continuing claims dropped to 20.9 million, down from 21.3 million the week prior.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that the U.S. economy added 2.5 million jobs in May, a record number.

But for the week ending June 13, 1.54 million new unemployment claims were filed, the department reported Thursday. That's down 355,000 from the week ending June 6.

New weekly claims peaked the last week of March, when 6.9 million workers filed for unemployment.