Horry County had the most unemployment claims in the state this week due to coronavirus
Horry County has the most unemployment claims in the State of South Carolina as a result of the coronavirus economic downturn.
Since March 21, more than 5,000 Horry County residents applied for unemployment benefits, according to information from the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce.
That number — 5,258 — includes only people who applied for benefits and does not reflect who has received any money.
In January, there were 1,083 unemployment insurance claimants for the whole month in Horry County, according to data from the workforce department.
Hotels, sports tourism and restaurants have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic due to restrictions on social gatherings, food service and travel. There have been so many cancellations that it may be hard to reschedule all events.
Across the state, there was a 1,600 percent increase in unemployment claims from people who live and work in South Carolina. In total, 31,054 claims were filed. A majority of the claims come from counties surrounding larger cities like Horry, Charleston, Lexington, Beaufort, Berkeley, Richland and Greenville counties.
Charleston County had the second-most claims in the state. In the last week, 4,138 people filed initial claims.
The application for unemployment insurance is 100 percent online, according to the release. More information can be found on the workforce department’s website. To ask questions over the phone, call 1-866-831-1724.
Congressional leaders in Washington, D.C. are also moving closer to a $2 trillion economic stimulus package that could include economic support to individuals and industries like tourism and air travel. The hope is to reach a deal in the House of Representatives by the end of the week.
This story was originally published March 26, 2020 at 9:03 AM.
