More than 16,000 file unemployment claims in week

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More than 16,000 people filed initial unemployment claims for the week ending July 4, bringing the total of S.C. claims in the last 16 weeks to 651,750 as a federal unemployment benefit expires this month.

The 16,062 claims represented a decrease of 897 from the previous week, according to the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce. The agency said it has paid more than $2.9 billion in a combination of state and federal benefits, though executive director Dan Ellzey reminded residents that the federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program will end July 25.

The emergency program established by the $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package provides an additional $600 per week to eligible claimants.  

“We are now approaching a big financial shift nationwide as the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program is set to expire on Saturday, July 25,” Ellzey said in a news release. “According to the CARES Act, the FPUC expiration date depends on how each state defines its benefit week. In South Carolina, our claim week runs Sunday-Saturday, setting Saturday, July 25 as the last day the weekly $600 FPUC benefit can be disbursed in the state.”

Ellzey said information about statewide reemployment services is available on the SC Works website.

“While some of the SC Works centers have offered reemployment services online and over the phone throughout the pandemic, many of these centers have reopened their facilities to the public,” Ellzey sad. “We urge you to visit https://scworks.org/about-us/statewide-centers to see which facilities are open and to understand their visitation protocols.”

For the week ending July 4, Richland County saw the second-highest number of claims in the state at 1,467. Greenville County had 1,529, while Charleston County had 1,179 and Horry County 935. Spartanburg County saw 830 and Lexington County 754.