FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): We have a good idea of how hard the COVID-19 pandemic has hit northeast Indiana, as well as some hope for recovery.

According to a study by the Community Research Institue at Purdue Fort Wayne, almost 72,000 workers in the eleven counties that make up northeast Indiana have filed for unemployment since Governor Holcomb first issued a stay-at-home order on March 25th.

The highest percentage of claims came from those in the manufacturing sector.

The good news is that experts think it’s going to be short-term for the most part, according to the Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly, as initial unemployment claims have been fading over the past few weeks while businesses and factories start to reopen.