California unemployment claims have finally started to decline, raising hopes that the statewide economy has begun to recuperate from coronavirus-linked ailments, although last week’s filings remain far worse than normal.

Workers in California also face a looming cutoff for federal benefit payments of an extra $300 a week. The payments are slated to cease on Sept. 4.

California workers filed 59,755 initial claims for unemployment during the week that ended on Aug. 28, a decrease of 3,591 from the 63,346 they filed in the week ending on Aug. 21, the U.S. Labor Department reported.

Following revisions of reports from the previous weeks, unemployment claims have fallen by a small amount for three straight weeks.

The recent filing trends mark the first time since October 2020 that initial claims in California have declined for as many as three consecutive weeks, raising some hope that the weak statewide job market may be starting to recuperate.