Another 31,901 ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ns applied for first-time unemployment benefits last week.
That is a slight increase over the figure for the prior week.
The new figure brings to nearly 577,000 the number of people in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ who have sought unemployment compensation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
That translates out to about 16% of the total workforce of nearly 3.6 million people.
Gov. Doug Ducey's stay-at-home order for ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ns not engaged in "essential" activities expired early Saturday, May 16. And Ducey has relaxed his rules about which businesses can operate, though they have to live within restraints on the number of patrons during the pandemic.
It remains to be seen how those changes will affect the number of people working.
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Aside from many businesses being limited to the number of customers, there is some question about how many ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ns now feel safe to go out and mingle.
Photos: Park Place and ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Mall reopen
Park Place and ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Mall reopen
Rosemary Garcia waits for a family member outside of a store at Park Place, 5870 E. Broadway Blvd., in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on May 19, 2020.
Park Place and ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Mall reopen
Customers stand a few feet apart while ordering lunch at Charley's inside Park Place, 5870 E. Broadway Blvd., in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on May 19, 2020.
Park Place and ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Mall reopen
Customers stand a few feet apart while they wait to enter Finish Line at Park Place, 5870 E. Broadway Blvd., in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on May 19, 2020.
Park Place and ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Mall reopen
Antoni Barnes, center, supervisor of house cleaning, cleans a chair at Park Place, 5870 E. Broadway Blvd., in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on May 19, 2020.
Park Place and ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Mall reopen
A group of friends each lunch in the food court at Park Place, 5870 E. Broadway Blvd., in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on May 19, 2020.
Park Place and ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Mall reopen
Carolina Castillo, house keeping staff member, wipes down a chair and table in the food court at Park Place, 5870 E. Broadway Blvd., in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on May 19, 2020.
Park Place and ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Mall reopen
Don Tongue, left, supervising officer, hands a customer a mask using tongs at Park Place, 5870 E. Broadway Blvd., in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on May 19, 2020.
Park Place and ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Mall reopen
Customers maintain a little distance between one anther as they wait outside of Forever 21 at Park Place, 5870 E. Broadway Blvd., in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on May 19, 2020.
Park Place and ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Mall reopen
Carolina Castillo, house keeping staff member, wipes down a chair and table in the food court at Park Place, 5870 E. Broadway Blvd., in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on May 19, 2020.
Park Place and ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Mall reopen
Tatianna Arriaga, far left, Zumiez store manager, and Derek Leahy, assistant store manager, stand in the front doorway of Zumiez to inform customers when then can enter the store at Park Place, 5870 E. Broadway Blvd., in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on May 19, 2020.
Park Place and ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Mall reopen
Carolina Castillo, house keeping staff member, wipes down door handles at Park Place, 5870 E. Broadway Blvd., in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on May 19, 2020.
Park Place and ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Mall reopen
A customers quickly gets some hand sanitizer at Park Place, 5870 E. Broadway Blvd., in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on May 19, 2020.
Park Place and ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Mall reopen
Park Place and ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Mall reopen
Customers sit at tables spaced six feet apart in front of Tuttie Frutti and Wetzel's Pretzels at Park Place, 5870 E. Broadway Blvd., in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on May 19, 2020.
