New jobless claims drop for 5th straight week in Beaufort County as economy slowly reopens
New filings for unemployment benefits in Beaufort County dropped for the fifth straight week as South Carolina cautiously reopens its economy amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Between April 26 and May 2, 1,322 workers in Beaufort County filed an initial claim for unemployment, according to the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce. That is nearly 1,000 fewer claims than were filed in mid-April, the data shows.
However, the overall picture for the state is still far from rosy as 46,747 South Carolinians filed new claims during that same period.
Additionally, the number of those who continue to need unemployment benefits is steadily rising, with the U.S. Department of Labor reporting nearly 241,000 continued claims for benefits in South Carolina as of the end of April.
The DEW doesn’t release a county-by-county breakdown of continued claims.
From the beginning of the pandemic in S.C. to May 5, DEW said it has paid out $831 million in unemployment benefits. That figure is a combination of regular state unemployment benefits and two federal CARES Act programs — one for self-employed workers and others would normally not be eligible for benefits, and a second that adds $600 on top of regular payments.
A third federal program enacted through CARES has yet to begin accepting applicants in South Carolina. However, DEW said it would begin accepting applications in the coming weeks for the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program, which would extend S.C.’s unemployment period from 20 weeks to 39 weeks.
Department stores and shopping centers in Beaufort County reopened their doors in the past two weeks, while some of Hilton Head’s signature restaurants began offering outdoor dining as of Monday.
Those moves are part of S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster’s slow roll out of the state economy to stem financial losses, though it’s unclear to what extent coronavirus infections and deaths are slowing statewide.
This story was originally published May 7, 2020 at 12:09 PM.
