South Carolina Unemployment Rate Reaches 11%

The jobless rate in the Palmetto state hit 11% in February. It's the highest figure posted since March of 1983. North Carolina's figure is up a point to 10.7 percent.

By: Fred Cunningham | WSPA-TV
Published: March 27, 2009

South Carolina's unemployment rate hit 11% in February according to figures released Friday morning by the state Employment Security Commission.

That's the highest reported figure since an 11.1% rate was reported in March of 1983.

Only Michigan - with an 12% figure reported for February - has a higher jobless figure in the nation. The South Carolina jobless rate rose seven-tenths of a point from the 10.3% rate in January.

North Carolina's unemployment rate rose to 10.7% in February. That is a one point increase and ranks the state fourth in the nation for jobless rates.

The number of unemployed jumped over 15,100 to 241,000 in the state.

The national unemployment rate rose from 7.6% in January to 8.1% in February.

There were 1,700 jobs lost in South Carolina in February overall, but there were notable gains for some industries. Professional and business services added 2,300 jobs with a gain of over 1,500 in leisure and hospitality, plus 700 additional hires were made in retail trade.

Yet manufacturing saw a decrease of 5,400 jobs and there were 2,100 fewer workers in construction.

Government added 3,700 positions and state colleges and universities re-staffed after the holidays.

Here are the jobless rates for Upstate counties which includes their rank among the 46 counties in South Carolina:

(5) Union 19.6%
(10) Cherokee 17.0%
(17) Abbeville 15.2%
(22) Oconee 13.8%
(24) Greenwood 13.5%
(28) Newberry 12.9%
(29) Anderson 12.7%
(30) Spartanburg 11.5%
(32) Laurens 11.3%
(38t) Pickens 9.8%
(40t) Greenville 9.5%

Allendale County has the highest jobless rate in South Carolina at 23.6%, while the lowest figure according to the SCESC is Lexington County at just below eight percent.

Here are the top five states, ranked by unemployment figures, released Friday morning by the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

Michigan 12.0%
South Carolina 11.0%
Oregon 10.8%
North Carolina 10.7%
Rhode Island 10.5%