COLUMBIA, S.C. — (AP) — New unemployment claims in South Carolina have dropped for the third week in a row.
The state Department of Employment and Workforce reported that about 8,900 people filed initial claims last week. That marks the lowest number of weekly claims filed since the pandemic began.
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Unemployment remains high relative to this time last year, when South Carolina was averaging 2,548 new weekly claims in July 2019.
Health officials also reported 1,295 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and 44 confirmed deaths.
The state has recorded a total of 96,132 cases and 1,863 deaths since the outbreak began.
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