South Carolina's Unemployment Rate Drops in August

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By: Staff Reports/N.C. Employment Security Commission Release | News Channel 7
Published: September 18, 2009

South Carolina’s unemployment rate decreased to 11.5% in August, the State Employment Security Commission reported Friday. The July rate was revised downward from 11.8% to 11.7 %. The state’s labor force dropped in August to 2,175,078, while the number of unemployed decreased 6,083 to 249,849. The national unemployment rate was 9.7% in August, up from 9.4% in July.
The state’s job count increased by 14,300 in August with most of the increase occurring in Local Government Educational Services (+16,800), as state and local schools prepared for the new school year. Other industries reporting gains were Professional and Business Services (+4,000); Education and Health Services (+1,400); and Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities (+700). Partially offsetting the gains were losses in Leisure and Hospitality (-2,700), and Construction (-2,600). South Carolina’s construction employment has now dropped below 100,000 jobs for the first time since February of 1997. For the first time since the recession began in December of 2007, job level changes in the state’s manufacturing industry were flat; however, manufacturing has lost in excess of 28,000 jobs over the past 12 months. The state’s overall job count was nearly 78,900 below the year-ago level.
With its drop in August, the unemployment rate has declined in the state now for the second month in a row. The state’s labor force levels continue to decline as well. “Nearly all industries in South Carolina have been impacted by this recession. While the continued decline in the state’s unemployment rate is welcome news, once the recession is over, South Carolina will have a significant challenge ahead in regaining the jobs lost,” said Roosevelt T. Halley, Executive Director of the Commission.