Unemployment rose across the state in June and Marlboro County leads South Carolina with an 8.5 %. That’s up from 6.6% in May. Last year, Marlboro County’s unemployment rate was 7.5% .
EMPLOYMENT:
• The seasonally adjusted number of South Carolina
workers increased to 2,410,144.
• That is an increase of 3,632 people over the May
2024 estimate.
• That is an increase of 26,816 people over the June
2023 estimate.
LABOR FORCE:
• The state’s estimated labor force (people working
plus unemployed people looking for work)
increased to 2,499,877, while the labor force
participation rate increased to 57.3 percent.
• That is a significant increase of 9,776 people over
the May 2024 estimate.
• That is a significant increase of 47,360 individuals
over the June 2023 estimate.
UNEMPLOYED:
• The estimate of unemployed people increased
to 89,733.
• That is a significant increase of 6,144 people
from May’s estimate and a significant increase of
20,544 from the June 2023 estimate.
• The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment
rate increased from 3.4 percent to 3.6 percent.
The national unemployment rate increased to
4.1 percent, according to the Current Population
Survey.
“June’s employment numbers continue to set new record highs with the number of people employed in South Carolina reaching 2,410,144, an increase of 3,632 month over month and employers reporting 2,381,500 in payroll, an increase of 6,900 over May’s number. The labor force participation rate also ticked up to 57.3% from May’s rate of 57.2%. However, we also saw South Carolina follow the national trend with an increase in the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate to 3.6%,” said S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) Executive Director William Floyd.
“It is exciting to see South Carolina setting records as the size of our workforce is the largest ever. That’s good news, but there is still more work to be done, as suggested by the uptick in the unemployment rate. Many South Carolina employers are hiring and offering viable, exciting careers. An excellent way for jobseekers to find their next job is through DEW and other workforce partners. Whether job fairs, rural outreach events, the virtual job platform, workshops and personalized assistance in the SC Works centers, or the SC Works Online Services (SCWOS) system, the state’s largest job database, there are many ways to engage our services to help with the employer-to-jobseeker connection,” said Floyd.
“There are many opportunities for those who do not currently have a job to connect with employment or training. Contact an SC Works center to evaluate your choices and take the next step toward joining South Carolina’s record-setting workforce,” concluded Floyd.