SC–Jobless Agency Implementing New Law

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) _ The director of South Carolina’s unemployment agency says fired employees are losing jobless benefits as called for under a new state law, though he acknowledges mistakes were made. Director Abraham Turner told senators Wednesday the number of people wrongly awarded benefits will continue to decline. The law signed in June requires automatic denial of benefits for workers fired for misconduct. Turner said employers can help their case by quickly getting more detailed information to the agency. Senate subcommittee chairman Kevin Bryant called the meeting to question why 66 fired workers were awarded the maximum 20 weeks of benefits in the law’s first week. The actual number is lower, although it’s not known by how much. In several examples legislators began to discuss, agency officials said supervisors reversed the initial ruling.