Over 1,000 Beaufort Co. residents apply for unemployment in one week amid coronavirus
Unemployment claims in Beaufort County jumped to just over 1,000 in one week, as South Carolina as a whole saw a 1,600% increase in claims filed due to the economic effects of the coronavirus.
By Saturday, 1,090 Beaufort County residents had applied for unemployment benefits, according to numbers released Thursday by the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce.
While not as many claims as Horry County’s total —more than 5,000 filed — Beaufort County’s claims rated ninth among South Carolina’s 46 counties.
The tourism and hospitality industries in the county have been hit particularly hard as a result of the virus. Tourism typically brings an estimated $1.48 billion to the local economy each year.
According to the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce, oceanfront resorts are about 90% empty and have a total of about 500-550 guests staying there.
With fewer people traveling and dining-in for restaurants shut down, hotel and restaurant workers have faced layoffs and economic anxiety.
By the end of last week, 31,054 South Carolinians had filed unemployment insurance claims, according to the data.
The application for unemployment insurance is 100 percent online, according to the release. For more information, visit the workforce department’s website or call 1-866-831-1724.
