Here's good news on the employment front:

Only 161 Lexington County workers sought unemployment claims the week ending Dec. 12.

That was a week after state claims spiked above 5,000 for the 1st time in 2 months.

Horry County had a state-high 434 claims filed, Greenville County 359, Richland County 304. Spartanburg County 214 and Charleston County 174

Lexington County was lowest of the top 6 markets.

SC initial unemployment claims dropped to 3,723 in the last week of extended unemployment benefits.

The 3,723 claims represented a drop of 1,386 from the previous week.

This brought the state’s total claims filed since March 15 to 792,758, according to the Department of Employment and Workforce.

Claimants found eligible will receive their last payment during the  week ending Dec. 19.

The funds ended because of SC’s lower-than-6.5% 3-month unemployment rate average.

That means more of us are back at work and earning incomes before Christmas.

In the latest week, DEW paid out more than $5.6 million and has paid out $45.4 million since March 15.

Nationally, initial unemployment claims increased by 23,000 from the previous week to 885,000.