Senator Scott talks joblessness and COVID-19

Oconee County and South Carolina share an identical unemployment rate.  The figures that State Senator Thomas Alexander made known today show 12.1% unemployment in both the county and across the state.  And in the case of Oconee, an additional 340 residents filed first claims for unemployment during May 17-23.  Today Tim Scott, South Carolina’s junior U-S senator, expressed alarm that generous jobless benefits already given out continue to weaken the chances for workforce recovery.  Some unemployment recipients choose to continue to accept their benefits, even though they’ve been told they can resume their previous jobs.  In a conversation with JoAnn Johnson of the Oconee Chamber of Commerce, Scott described COVID-19 as a pandemic that everyone should respect and to listen to the advice of health experts on how to protect them and all with whom they come in contact.