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BRIEF: S.C. unemployment agency launches mobile phone app [The Post and Courier, Charleston, S.C. :: ](Post & Courier (Charleston, SC) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) April 23--The S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce today has launched a mobile app for unemployment claimants, the first state in the nation to use such technology, official said. The agency's free iClaim app allows claimants who have already applied for benefits to file subsequent weekly claims on their smart phone or mobile device. The iClaim is available on Apple devices. The app is expected to be available on Android devices later in the year, officials said. The mobile app is also used as a fraud prevention, allowing the state agency know the GPS location when the claimant files their weekly claim, said Adrienne Fairwell, a spokeswoman for the agency. The app launch follows a 2013 survey of S.C. unemployment claimants, which showed that 70 percent used a mobile phone to access the Internet at least once a day. In addition to filing weekly claims on the go, the app provides notifications of important information and reminders about individuals' unemployment claims. Claimants can also receive customized job fair and hiring event alerts directly to their mobile devices, Fairwell said. "We are now able to communicate with them in real-time and this will also assist with fraud prevention," she said. ___ (c)2014 The Post and Courier (Charleston, S.C.) Visit The Post and Courier (Charleston, S.C.) at www.postandcourier.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |