Beaufort County sees slight uptick in unemployment insurance claims
During the week that ended June 6, 349 Beaufort County residents filed initial claims for unemployment insurance benefits — the first increase in unemployment filings in two months, according to data released Thursday by the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce.
The number is a 3.87% uptick from the previous week’s totals of 336. The week that ended April 4 saw a 4.17% increase in new unemployment filings from the previous week, from 2,709 to 2,822.
After peaking in April, initial filing numbers dropped off, with the county matching the trends of the state as a whole. The state also saw an increase in first-time claims during the first week of June, with 22,734 South Carolinians filing for benefits, compared to 18,986 the previous week.
SCDEW releases data each Thursday on initial unemployment claims filed during the previous week.
In a press release, SCDEW executive director Dan Ellzey said that even as it recovers, the restaurant and tourism industry continues to experience high unemployment numbers. He noted several other possible reasons for the higher numbers, including that manufacturers still face supply chain constraints and potentially lower demand overall, which can trickle down to other sectors.
South Carolinians can receive unemployment benefits in a variety of forms, including regular state unemployment insurance benefits; Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, which expands benefits to cover those who otherwise do not qualify for regular unemployment insurance; Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, which is funded by the federal CARES Act and provides $600 per week to those who qualify for and receive state benefits; and the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program, which extends state unemployment insurance benefits by 13 weeks after the 20-week program has ended.
Claimants can call 1-866-831-1724 weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. to speak with a representative, according to SCDEW’s website.
