Initial S.C. unemployment claims soar for week ending Jan. 1.

• Position: South Carolina

The first week of initial unemployment claims stretching into 2022 in South Carolina saw an increase of more than 2,400 from the previous week.

For the week ending Jan. 1, 3,582 initial unemployment claims were filed in the state, an increase of 2,447 from the week before. Anderson County saw 1,305 claims, the highest in the state by more than 800, according to data from the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce. Richland County had 442 claims.

Nationally, claims increased by 7,000 from the previous week to 207,000.

In response to previous questions about spikes in claims in counties, DEW has said it cannot provide specific claim breakdowns, as that could...