SC DEW: New numbers of initial unemployment insurance claims at lowest since pandemic

SOUTH CAROLINA (WOLO) – The South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce says the new numbers of weekly initial unemployment insurance claims are the lowest since the pandemic began.

Officials say in the claim week of August 23 to August 29, 5,019 people filed their initial claim for unemployment insurance in SC.

The department says this is a decrease of 505 initial claims from last week.

SC DEW says Richland County has the most number of initial unemployment insurance claims in the Palmetto State with 467.

Officials say that since South Carolina has been approved by FEMA for the Lost Wages Assistance program, it will provide an additional $300 for claimants eligible to receive at least $100 in state or federal unemployment benefits.

Dan Ellzey, Executive Director of SC DEW, says the “information about eligibility and requirements will be updated over the next two to three weeks as the program is implemented into the agency’s system.”

SC DEW says since the start of the pandemic, they have paid more than $3.91 billion in total, including:

• Regular state UI benefits
• Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (for the self-employed and others)
• The Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program ($600 per week)
• The Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program (extension of benefits for 13 weeks)
• Extended Benefits (Additional 16 weeks of benefits after PEUC)

The United States Department of Labor officials say they have reported their lowest level of weekly unemployment claims.

The department says the number fell to 881,000 claims last week.

The government says that the total number of Americans continuing to claim unemployment benefits through all programs was more than 29 million in the week ending Aug. 15.