Myrtle Beach Workforce Center Area Director, Doris Buffkin, says they’re keeping their fingers crossed about getting people back to work, and continue to remain upbeat.

With the continuing economic downturn and increasingly rising unemployment rates, individuals are in need and searching out employment services.

The new Myrtle Beach unemployment office opened its doors Monday with a very small turnout taking into account the latest unemployment statistics.

The Grand Strand economy may be struggling, but a spokesman for the city of Myrtle Beach says organizers are seeing a good response so far for the upcoming Senior Job and Volunteer Assistance Fair.

Renelle Wolff, training officer with Lack’s Beach Service, said when many companies are reducing their workforce, she’s doing phone interviews and fielding questions from people who are hoping to be one of lifeguards she will hire.

South Carolina’s December unemployment rate shot up to 9.5 percent. If the grim numbers aren’t enough to bring you down think about underemployment. That means, local employers are struggling to give their employees enough hours to fill up a 40 hour week.

Marion County’s 19 percent unemployment is the highest since 1990, according to Sam McClary, a labor market analyst with the state’s employment commission.

South Carolina’s unemployment numbers will be released on Tuesday. Those numbers likely will not be good for Horry County says Mary Nell Smith, Area Director at the Coastal Workforce Center in Conway.

Bamboosa will expand its operations in Williamsburg County, the S.C. Department of Commerce announced Friday. The $500,000 investment is expected to create 31 jobs at Bamboosa’s facility in Andrews, where the company was founded.

Liberty National Life Insurance Company has announced plans to open a new branch office in Myrtle Beach.

Smith said she knows some claimants have a difficult time getting through on the phone and they sometimes wait in line for hours just to ask one question, but said her staff is working hard to process claims as soon as they can.

Honda of South Carolina will stop production during the months of March, April and May, because of the country’s weakening economy.

Assurant Specialty Property announced its Florence hazard insurance service center plans to hire as many as 100 additional employees during the next four to five months to accommodate the growth of its creditor-placed homeowners and insurance tracking business.

Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Marilyn Fore said, about the healthcare profession, “It is the highest demand in terns of both the employment opportunities, the hospital, doctors offices, all of our medical outlets, as well as on the other side, it’s where the greatest number of students want to enter programs.”

When you hear news about manufacturing, it’s often about layoffs and shutdowns.  However, there are still opportunities out there for some in manufacturing, in both the Pee Dee and the Grand Strand.