CHARLESTON, S.C. - The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the U.S. economy unlike any other event in 2020. It has caused business shutdowns, supply chain disruptions, travel bans, social distancing orders, and, overwhelming health impacts. Profits are down or eliminated. Millions of workers have found themselves out of a job—either furloughed or permanently laid off. As a result, almost every state in the nation has seen unparalleled job-loss numbers, and our own unemployment benefits agency has struggled to process the large number of applications they have received over the last few months.
While every state is dealing with the massive losses of employment opportunities caused by the public health crisis, and no two states are having the exact same experience, some states are starting to lift their lockdowns. In an ongoing effort to track COVID-19’s impact on workers, Stacker compiled data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on how unemployment rates have changed. States were ranked by their highest rates of unemployment as of May 2020, with ties broken by the biggest change in the unemployment rates from February to May 2020. Slacker also looked at news reports and other government data to zero in on the employment scene in every state. South Carolina came in at number 24 with an unemployment rate of 12.5% in the month of May. This represented a 10 % increase since February 2020 in the unemployment rate.
After several weeks of declining rates of initial unemployment insurance claims, South Carolina began seeing an increase in unemployment claims in early June, according to a report from our state’s Department of Employment and Workforce. The industries with most new claims filed for the week ending June 6 include temporary help services, restaurants, tire manufacturing, and fabric mills.
In these times of uneasiness and uncertainty, employment opportunities may seem bleak. However, now is the time to make an investment in honing your job-seeking skills and develop your career building plans. CCPL staff are here to help you with your workforce development needs.
If you would like more information, assistance in finding resources, tips on how to get the job hunting process started or more, please reach out to us at CCPL by email, chat, or text. You may also call us at 843-805-6930, leave a voice message, and a library staff member will return your call. Remember, you are not alone.