Unemployment claims down in Beaufort Co. as jobless numbers rise across the state
After weeks of sharp increases, requests for unemployment benefits in Beaufort County rose by only 4%, or 113 new filings, while statewide jobless claims continue to soar.
As of Saturday, 2,822 Beaufort County residents filed for unemployment last week, with 2,709 filing the week before, according to weekly data from the S.C. Department of Workforce and Employment (SCDEW). This is the new normal under coronavirus, however, as only 26 Beaufort County residents were seeking unemployment benefits during the first week of March.
Figures for the state at large have been less encouraging, as 85,018 South Carolina residents applied for benefits last week. Counties such as Greenville, Spartanburg and Aiken that previously hadn’t seen big increases in unemployment filings have been catching up. Greenville saw a 51% jump from the previous week, while Spartanburg nearly doubled in claims. Recently reported layoffs at a BMW plant in Greer, a city which borders Greenville and Spartanburg, likely contributed to that spike.
Horry County still has the most filings for unemployment in the state, with 10,098 South Carolina workers asking for benefits, according to the state’s numbers.
Resorts and restaurants remain the hardest hit industries in Beaufort County. Companies with more than 100 employees are required to report mass layoffs or closures to the state in advance, and the first entry for Hilton Head Island was made public on Wednesday: The Beach House Resort on Coligny Beach laid off 57 employees on March 23, according to the SCDEW.
“Any industry that requires in-person interaction is going to be hardest hit,” said Joey Von Nessen, a research economist at the Moore School at the University of South Carolina Beaufort.
“Beaufort County is affected,” he said, because a lot of hospitality and leisure industries are focused in Beaufort County and specifically Hilton Head Island.
SCDEW said it has paid $18,498,410 in benefits to South Carolinians from March 15 to April 4, before any money has arrived from the CARES Act. The agency also said it has boosted call center staff by 400% in the past two weeks.
Residents of Beaufort County as well as applicants across the state have been frustrated with their inability to get their claims processed or to get anyone on the phone at SCDEW, as the agency has been overwhelmed with demand.
At a Wednesday press conference, Gov. Henry McMaster expanded the pool of workers who can apply for unemployment benefits. SCDEW, he said, must consider furloughed workers who are still getting partial payment from their employers as eligible for unemployment benefits.
“Every day, our primary objective is to protect South Carolinians, but we also must act to protect the state’s economy,” McMaster said in a statement. “This order does both. It allows our businesses to take care of their employees as best as they can and will help our economy recover from this unprecedented time.”
The full economic toll of this pandemic remains to be seen, and the intensity is high this month, but that may be a good thing, according to Van Nesson. He cites how coronavirus’ economic impact is more akin to a natural disaster than a real financial recession.
“There are reasons to believe it will be less lengthy than in the 2008 recession,” said Van Nesson. “Intensity is high, but duration may be much shorter. It’s more like a pause on economic activity.”
This story was originally published April 9, 2020 at 10:48 AM.
