As SC social distancing rules ease, Rock Hill area jobless filings trend downward.
As social distancing rules loosen, fewer unemployment claim filings are coming from York, Lancaster and Chester counties.
The 1,426 claims the week ending May 16 still would be a large amount for a typical month in a typical year. Yet during COVID-19 that figure shows progress. Claims statewide and in the tri-county area have steadily declined for several weeks.
Since mid-March, the three counties have compiled 27,268 intrastate unemployment filings. York County contributed 18,486, compared to 5,836 in Lancaster County and 2,946 in Chester County.
Statewide, the 29,446 claims for the most recent week are a drop of more than 3,000 claims from the prior week. More than 515,000 claims have been filed since mid-March. State and federal unemployment programs paid out more than $1.35 billion in South Carolina.
“Throughout the duration of this crisis, our priority is processing claims and backdating payments appropriately,” said Dan Ellzey, executive director with the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce. “We want to reassure all claimants that if and when they are found eligible, critical payments will be paid to them.”
As the initial crest of coronavirus unemployment claims wanes, focus in recent weeks turned to a return to employment.
“We are prepared to help both employers and claimants navigate the unemployment system during and as they transition back to work,” Ellzey said. “These are trying times and it will take an all hands-on-deck approach from every single resident to reboot our state’s economy.”
Gov. Henry McMaster recently announced tourist attractions, recreation sports leagues and other pre-coronavirus staples of life in South Carolina will soon resume. On Tuesday, Rock Hill Mayor John Gettys outlined his city’s efforts to help the business community restart from coronavirus.
“We have got to get people back to work,” Gettys said at an event at the city’s new sports and event center.
Lancaster County recently announced the second phase of its reopening strategy, which impacts could commissions and recreation sites.
Workforce department statistics show the tri-county area just prior to social distancing measures in mid-March had an unemployment rate of 3.1%. There were 192,000 employees living in those three counties and just more than 6,000 people unemployed.
Accommodations and food service, along with healthcare, were the industries most impacted by unemployment claims.
The statewide unemployment rate prior to mid-March was an historically low 2.6%.
Anyone in need of unemployment information can visit dew.sc.gov.
This story was originally published May 22, 2020 at 8:30 AM.
