Horry County had the second highest coronavirus unemployment claims in South Carolina
Horry County is no longer leading the state in initial unemployment claims through another week of closed restaurants and hotels.
There were 7,930 unemployment claims filed from Horry County in the week ending April 11, the second highest in the state, according to a release from the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce.
Greenville County led the state with 10,378 claims filed since April 11.
For the entirety of the pandemic since the week of March 26, Horry County still leads the state with nearly 33,000 claims filed. Greenville County is second with more than 30,000 claims and Charleston County in third with 26,000 claims.
Social distancing has caused many of the Myrtle Beach area’s restaurants, hotels, retail stores and attractions to shut down for weeks now. The hope is by keeping everyone inside it will dramatically slow the spread of the virus.
Across the state there have been 87,686 unemployment claims filed in the past week. Larger counties like Horry, Greenville and Charleston are leading the state in claims.
A filed claim does not mean the person is receiving benefits. To file an unemployment claim, visit DEW’s website or call 1-866-831-1724.
DEW expanded its call center from 46 people to 292 workers to deal with the influx of people seeking benefits. The department processed 268,000 claims in the last four weeks compared to 7,000 claims in the four weeks prior.
The federal stimulus package, CARES, increased the unemployment payout by $600 for many people who file and receive benefits. Independent contractors are also eligible for unemployment thanks to the federal bill.
This story was originally published April 16, 2020 at 8:40 AM.
