Unemployment Aid to End for 1,852 in Charleston Co.

This weekend's expiration of a four-year-old federal program to continue unemployment benefits long after state money ends will end checks for nearly 30,000 South Carolina residents.

In Charleston County alone, 1,852 unemployed residents will quit getting help, according to the SC Department of Employment and Workforce. The state's November unemployment rate was 8.3 percent.

South Carolina's state unemployment programs ends after 20 weeks of benefits to qualified residents. The EUC, enacted in 2008 and extended numerous times since, provided continued financial help for as many as 42 additional weeks for qualified residents. 

The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 set this month as the end of the EUC program.

An additional program to provide help to unemployed South Carolinians, the State-Federal Extended Benefits provided an additional 16 weeks of help. It expired in April.

All told, some South Carolina residents have been eligible for up to 78 weeks of unemployment help.

For updates, visit www.dew.sc.gov, follow @scdewinfo on Twitter or send questions to questionsaboutnewlaw@dew.sc.gov. 

SCDEW provides the following resources for helping those out of work to find jobs:

Follow these easy steps for conducting your online work search:

1. Visit SC Works Online Services at  jobs.scworks.org
2. On the right side of the screen, sign in with your username and password. (Note this is different from your information used to access the MyBenefits portal. It is the information you received when you registered for work as part of filing your initial claim.)
3. Click “job search” on the menu on left side of the screen. Fill in your zip code and any keywords under “search criteria.”
4. Browse the list of openings that meet your search criteria. When you find a listing that matches your qualifications, click “apply” and follow the instructions.