Unemployment numbers rise in SC, but so does the number of workers

Even as the unemployment numbers rise, more people are working in South Carolina than ever before, according to the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce.

June employment reached 2,410,144, an increase of 3,632 month over month and employers reported 2,381,500 in payroll, an increase of 6,900 over May’s number, S.C. DEW reported. The labor force participation rate also ticked up to 57.3% from May’s rate of 57.2%.

The state also experienced an increase in the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate to 3.6%, which followed a national upward trend, S.C. DEW Executive Director William Floyd said in a news release.

“It is exciting to see South Carolina setting records as the size of our workforce is the largest ever,” he said in the release. “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.”

The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate had been 3.4 %, according to S.C. DEW records. The national unemployment rate increased to 4.1% in June. The number of unemployed people in the state in June numbered 89,733, which S.C. DEW called a “significant” increase of 6,144 workers. The June estimate of unemployed persons is 20,544 higher than June 2023.

“An excellent way for jobseekers to find their next job is through DEW and other workforce partners,” Floyd said in the release. “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 system, the state’s largest job database, there are many ways to engage our services to help with the employer-to-jobseeker connection.”

“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,” Floyd said in the release.