Tier 4 triggered

The extension by Congress of the Emergency Unemployment Compensation program means federal unemployment will continue for thousands of South Carolinians. However, because of the recent continued decline in the state’s unemployment rate, South Carolina has triggered off Tier 4. According to the Department of Employment and Workforce, it means those Tier 3 claimants, who exhaust Tier 3 either on or before Saturday, will be allowed to move and complete Tier 4. But claimants who do not exhaust Tier until after January 12 will not be eligible for additional benefits. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ three-month average for the state fell below the nine percent trigger rate threshold, thereby discontinuing the state’s Tier 4 eligibility. The state encourages all claimants who have exhausted benefits to check with their local SC Works Center to determine the availability of additional eligibility.