South Carolina Initial Unemployment Insurance Claims Data

Week Ending April 4, 2020

Initial Claims: In the week ending April 4, 2020, the advance figures for South Carolina initial claims* was 85,018, an increase of approximately 31.09% from the previous week’s count of 64,856 and a 4,159.42% increase from the week ending March 14, 2020 when only 1,996 initial claims were filed. This means that there were 85,018 individuals who both live and work in the state of South Carolina who filed an initial claim during that week. This is the data you will see reflected in the county information below.

County Map (Intrastate)

Additional Agency Data and the Unemployment Insurance Process:

1. The agency has processed 180,928 claims in the past three weeks as opposed to the prior three weeks when the agency processed a total of 5,862 initial claims.
2. $18,498,410 has been paid to South Carolinians from March 15 to April 4, 2020 and this is before the additional funds for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and the additional $600 from the CARES Act have even reached the state.
3. Call center staff has been increased by 400% in the past two weeks to help respond to claimant questions.
4. Over the weekend, the ICON Hub that validates social security numbers nationwide added server support in order to better accommodate volume. In South Carolina we are seeing more claimants able to process and complete a claim without an SSN validation issue.
5. Most individuals who are receiving benefits as a result of an Employer Filed Claim are receiving payments as quickly as 24 hours after their weekly certification.
6. If you are self-employed, a contractor, gig workers, file a 1099 – you can now apply for unemployment insurance benefits. We will take the claim, but the program will not be active at the time; however, if eligible, you will be paid retroactively once the funds are available.
7. Please visit the COVID-19 Resource Hub or dew.sc.gov website for recently added Frequently Asked Questions about the filing and claims unemployment insurance process. Check the sites in order to avoid the wait!
8. The unemployment insurance claims process is online. You do not have to visit an SC Works center to file for benefits. There is no “in-person” process.
9. Please visit our and social media as we will be communicating how this legislation will affect our process as soon as we know more.

About the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce

The S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce is putting South Carolinians to work. The agency has four missions: (1) workforce development; (2) free job match employment services; (3) unemployment insurance; and (4) labor market information. All four missions contribute to workforce development. The agency is dedicated to advancing South Carolina through services and programs that meet the needs of our businesses, jobseekers and those looking to advance their careers.