S.C. initial unemployment claims show little movement in week

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S.C. counties reported 1,216 initial unemployment claims for the week ending Dec. 18, bringing the total first-time claims filed in the state since March 15, 2020 to 942,405. 

The previous week saw 1,261 initial claims filed. 

Horry County had a state-high 165 claims, followed by Richland County with 109. Greenville County saw 107 claims and Spartanburg County 87, according to S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce data. 

DEW said it expects a drop in claims during the Christmas week similar to one that occurred during Thanksgiving because of seasonal hiring and a tendency not to file claims during the holidays. 

Since March 15, 2020, DEW has paid out nearly $6.6 billion in a total of state and federal unemployment benefits. 

Nationally, initial claims remained unchanged from the previous week’s revised total at 205,000.