State unemployment rate ticks upward to 5.7% in July
Staff Report
colanews@scbiznews.com
Published Aug. 18, 2014
South Carolina’s jobless rate ticked upward in July to 5.7% from 5.3% in June, the state Department of Employment and Workforce reported today.
The official unemployment rate for the state had remained stable at 5.3% in April, May and June, the lowest level since June 2001.
But the number of unemployed persons grew by 9,124 to 124,670 in July, while working South Carolinians dropped by 6,442 people to 2,043,602. From June to July, the labor force increased 2,682 to 2,168,272.
Since July 2013, about 28,740 people have found work, and the labor force decreased by 15,142. Additionally, over the year, the state’s unemployment rate has declined by approximately 2 percentage points.
Nationally, the unemployment rate increased to 6.2% in July from 6.1% in June.
July’s seasonally adjusted nonfarm payrolls fell by 4,600 over the month to 1,928,400.
Sequential drops in professional and business services, education and health services, manufacturing, information and other services fueled the overall decrease.
The largest job gain was in leisure and hospitality at up 1,000, with additional smaller increases in construction at 600; trade, transportation, and utilities at 600; financial activities, 400; and government, 100.
Between July 2013 and July 2014, seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs were up 32,300.
Year over year, professional and business services rose by 5,800; education and health services were up 5,100; and trade, transportation, and utilities climbed 4,800. Government climbed 2,100, along with construction, up 1,400.
Financial activities, other services, and information experienced declines over the year.
Bamberg County registered the highest unemployment rate at 12.1%. Lexington County and Saluda County tied for the lowest jobless rate at 5.1%.
Unemployment rates in other major markets included:
Midlands
- Calhoun County: 8.8%
- Lee County: 7.8%
- Fairfield County: 7.5%
- Sumter County: 7.3%
- Richland County: 6.6%
- Kershaw County: 6.2%
- Newberry County: 5.8%
Upstate
- Union County: 8.3%
- Cherokee County: 7.2%
- Abbeville County: 7.0%
- Greenwood County: 6.9%
- Oconee County: 6.7%
- Laurens County: 6.3%
- Spartanburg County: 6.3%
- Pickens County: 6.0%
- Anderson County: 5.7%
- Greenville County: 5.2%
Lowcountry
- Orangeburg County: 11.8%
- Allendale County: 11.4%
- Hampton County: 8.2%
- Williamsburg County: 7.8%
- Colleton County: 7.2%
- Beaufort County: 6.2%
- Georgetown County: 6.1%
- Jasper County: 6.1%
- Berkeley County: 5.8%
- Dorchester County: 5.8%
- Charleston County: 5.4%