Fair trade? York County, like SC, unemployment goes down as coronavirus cases go up.
There has been debate on how far South Carolina should go in social distancing during COVID-19, and its impact on public health. What seems clearer is decisions made thus far have led to economic recovery.
“The latest initial claims data is evidence of a strong South Carolina economy,” state employment and workforce department executive director Dan Ellzey said in an unemployment claim data release Thursday. “This week marks a more significant decrease than we have noted in the last six weeks of initial claims data.”
Statewide, the 14,346 unemployment claims filed the week ending July 18 are the fewest since the coronavirus pandemic took hold in March.
For the week ending July 18, there were 715 initial unemployment claims filed in York, Lancaster and Chester counties. That figure is the lowest for a week since a surge of filings began mid-March.
York County had 439 claims, its first time dipping below the 500 claim mark. The low mark is about one-seventh of the unemployment claim peak in York County in early April.
The 161 claims for the most recent week in Lancaster County is its low point during the coronavirus span too, and the 115 claims in Chester County is its second lowest weekly total. Both counties saw claims more than five times higher at their peaks.
The 715 tri-county claims the most recent week put the area total at 36,051 claims since mid-March. York County has the most at 24,037. Lancaster County has 7,854 and Chester County 4,160 claims.
In a recent post to his blog, U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman noted the May-to-June unemployment rate dropped from 12.5% to 9.6% in York County, from 13.3% to 10.6% in Lancaster County, and from 16% to 13.1% in Chester County. He listed those among positive signs for the state economy.
“Obviously, there’s still a long way to go to offset pandemic-related job losses from March and April,” he wrote. “This data, however, is a clear indication we’re on the right path economically here in the Palmetto State, even as COVID remains a significant concern.”
Prior to the pandemic, state and local unemployment rates were at or near record low levels, about a third of what they are now. Norman says recent improvement in the unemployment rate shows the right type of progress.
“It also illustrates just how monumentally wrong those individuals were who were calling for our non-essential businesses to remain closed until this pandemic was under control,” Norman wrote. “While we need to continue working to drive down infection rates and keep hospitals from becoming overwhelmed, allowing businesses to safely reopen was absolutely the right call.”
Norman wrote he can’t imagine the “utter devastation” that continued economic shutdown would have on a state facing other coronavirus issues.
“Fortunately we have only one of those two nightmares to deal with, and I’m thrilled to see our jobs numbers trending in the right direction in spite of it,” Norman wrote.
Norman and Ellzey note a positive economic impact from reopening of state business from its largely shut-down, socially distant state this spring. Yet, in that same span confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Carolina have increased.
Through early June, daily case counts in York County peaked at no more than about 15 cases. Since then, there has been a steep upward trend that has daily new case counts routinely in the 50-70 range. Twice, it’s peaked at more than 100 new cases in a day.
Benefit to expire
A federal $600 per week benefit for the unemployed will expire July 25.
Ellzey said there is discussion at the federal level to extend or amend the law that creates that benefit. Even if there is an extension, he said, there could be a lapse in benefits that may not be eligible later for back pay.
“Regardless of what happens this week on Capitol Hill, we want to assure claimants that there are opportunities out there,” Ellzey said.
The SC Works portal has more than 95,000 posted jobs statewide.
On Wednesday, the state employment and workforce department announced it can offer six weeks of extended benefit programs. It’s in addition to 10 weeks of extended benefits announced in early July. It comes after the state unemployment rate for the past three months exceeded 8%.
Claimants must have exhausted their 20 weeks regular unemployment and 13 weeks of Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation benefits before applying for the extended benefit program. Dueing the pandemic, the state employment agency has paid out more than $3.37 billion in federal and state benefits.
