Columbia, SC (FOX Carolina) – The South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce has released initial claims for unemployment insurance for the week ending September 5.

According to SCDEW, 5,113 people filed an initial claim last week. That’s up 94 from the previous week.

Greenville County stayed second for most initial claims filed behind Richland County. Last week, Greenville County reported 458 claims, while Richland County had the most in the state with 530.

“Initial claims remain steady in the latest reported claim week. As we have previously mentioned, minor upticks should not be alarming as this is normal in data reporting,” states executive director, Dan Ellzey.

“We are focusing our efforts on finalizing changes to the claimant system to accommodate Lost Wages Assistance (LWA). Once implemented, claimants will be required to complete a separate one-time certification for claim weeks ending August 1, August 8 and August 15. LWA will provide an additional $300 for claimants eligible to receive at least $100 in state or federal unemployment benefits. Information about eligibility and

requirements will be updated on our COVID Federal Programs page and COVID FAQ page on our website. We will also provide updates directly to claimants through the portal, on social media and through media partners

statewide,” concludes Ellzey.

In the last 25 weeks, the total number of claims in the state has risen to 735,360 . SCDEW says more than $3.96 billion has been paid in a combination of UI benefits and CARES Act programs. Due to the high volume of calls, officials say they have extended call center hours on Monday and Tuesday to now run 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. The rest of the week remains the same with hours on Wednesday – Friday running 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. – noon.