Unemployment Numbers Low in Golden Corner and Around State

In his State of the State Address this week, Governor Henry McMaster said that, “During the peak of the pandemic, the unemployment crisis was severe. During the worst week of the Great Recession in 2008 and 2009, we saw nearly 14,000 initial jobless claims filed. During the worst week of the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw more than 87,000. In April, our unemployment rate was 12.4%. But, today, it is 4.4% – the lowest in the southeast and the 7th lowest in the nation. After losing nearly 300,000 jobs through April, South Carolina has regained a total of 220,000 jobs – an 81.3% gain, vastly exceeding the country’s job gains of 55%….Today, South Carolina is in a stronger financial position than virtually every other state in the country.”

According to State unemployment figures from January 3rd through 9th, 842 Greenville County residents filed for unemployment, and there were 713 claims from Anderson County. In Pickens County, the report showed that there were 324 workers who lost their jobs and filed for unemployment benefits, while Oconee County only added 173 to it’s number of unemployed.