CHARLOTTE, N.C. — With summer in full swing and many businesses trying to put people back to work, we look at how states are recovering from unemployment.
QUESTION: Are South Carolina's unemployment claims dropping faster than other states?
ANSWER: Yes, according to a WalletHub study, the number of unemployment claims since the start of the pandemic is down 93%.
SOURCES:
WHAT WE FOUND:
According to SCDEW, the state's unemployment rate is at 4.6% compared to the national unemployment average of 5.5%.
A WalletHub study shows the number of unemployment insurance claims from the start of the pandemic is now down 93% more than any other state.
The main reason is we have one of the lowest benefits in the country," Pantuosco said.
South Carolina is also one of the first states to opt out of the $300-a-week unemployment assistance from the federal government. Those extra payments ended the week of June 27.
"You're more likely to go back to work because of the lower state wage that you are getting from the government," Pantuosco said.
That average weekly unemployment wage from the state is about $234. According to Pantuosco, there are other factors why people are heading back to work, like the recent boost in wages.
"The fact that wages are going up in those areas we are up about 10% before the pandemic in hospitality and leisure," Pantuosco said.
Pantuosco also points out that South Carolina is a big tourism hub, so those jobs are in full swing in the summer. Dr. Pantuosco tells us they are still about 90,000 jobs short of where they were, pre-pandemic.
Contact Meghan Bragg at mbragg@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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