South Carolina Jobless Rate Up Slightly to 12.1%

June unemployment was virtually unchanged in South Carolina from May and the jobless rate in North Carolina fell slightly to 11 percent.

By: Fred Cunningham | News Channel 7
Published: July 17, 2009

South Carolina's unemployment rate was virtually unchanged in June, holding at 12.1%.

The South Carolina Employment Security Commission announced Friday the jobless rate was up 1/10 of a point from the revised May figure of 12.0 percent.

"We are still in the grip of this recession," said Roosevelt T. Halley, Executive Director of the commission in a written release, "We are hopeful that the leveling of the unemployment rate over the past two months may be an indication that we are approaching the bottom of this prolonged downward cycle."

Union County now has the second highest jobless rate among South Carolina's 46 counties with a June figure of 22.0%. Union County had a 0.7% increase from May.

The SCESC reports the states labor force dropped 9,400 in June to 2,193,707 while the number of unemployed rose 1,356 to 264,957.

The national unemployment rate was 9.5% in June, up slightly from a 9.4% in May.

North Carolina’s unemployment rate decreased slightly to 11 percent in June, according to statistics released Friday by the N.C. Employment Security Commission.

The jobless rate was 11.1%in May.

Unemployment decreased by 4,721 workers, to 502,263, but jobless numbers in North Carolina has increased by 224,657 people since this time last year.

The South Carolina job count dropped 7,100 in June with most of the losses occurring in government - 5,600 positions - as state and local schools closed for the summer recess.

Partially offsetting the losses were gains in leisure and hospitality along with professional and business services.

Two counties, Marion and Horry, had unemployment drop slightly from May to June.

Here is a breakdown of the jobless rates are for individual counties in the Upstate for June with overall state ranking included.

(2) Union 22.0%
(t11) Cherokee 17.6%
(18) Abbeville 15.8%
(19) Oconee 15.1%
(t23) Greenwood 14.4%
(26) Anderson 13.2%
(27) Spartanburg 13.1%
(28) Newberry 13.0%
(30) Laurens 12.4%
(t35) Pickens 11.2%
(40) Greenville 10.7%

Spartanburg, Anderson and Newberry counties saw their jobless rates increase by close to one percent in one month. Greenville County unemployment grew by 0.6%.

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