SC DEW: Increase in initial unemployment insurance claims last week

(Courtesy: SC DEW/Facebook)

SOUTH CAROLINA (WOLO) – The South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce reported an increase in initial unemployment insurance claims for last week.

Officials say in the week of September 20 – 26, 5,132 people filed their initial claims for unemployment.

That’s an increase of 199 initial claims from the week of September 13 – 19, where 4,933 claims were filed.

On their intrastate map showing initial unemployment insurance claims by counties, Greenville County has the highest number of claims in the state with 555, with Richland County right behind it with 481 claims.

SC DEW says since March 15, 749,708 initial claims have been filed.

The department has paid more than $4.2 billion in a combination of the following:

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

The U.S. Department of Labor reported today that 837,000 people filed for unemployment insurance last week, which is a decrease from 870,000 people filing the week prior.

The department also said more than 26.5 million people are still claiming some form of unemployment benefits through all programs as of the week ending on September 12.