Horry County has dramatic rise in coronavirus unemployment claims, leads the state
Horry County once again led the state with the most unemployment claims last week.
The county had 9,672 people apply for unemployment benefits as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and economic downturn this week. This is up from 5,258 from the week before, according to a release from the Department of Employment and Workforce.
Charleston County had the second highest initial claims with 7,845 people seeking benefits.
Across the state, more than 64,000 people sought unemployment benefits, a 108 percent increase from the week before and a 3,000 percent increase compared to the week of March 14. These number are just initial claims and do not reflect everyone who received benefits.
While many businesses across industries are struggling to make ends meet, the United States Government approved a stimulus package last week that hopes to keep employees on payroll. It also includes a $1,200 check for many citizens.
According to the release, the software used to validate social security numbers is overwhelmed nationwide due to the influx of claims. The United States Department of Labor is trying to fix the problem.
This story was originally published April 2, 2020 at 8:49 AM.
