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April employment numbers show a South Carolina growing workforce

Ross Norton //May 22, 2023//

April employment numbers show a South Carolina growing workforce

Ross Norton //May 22, 2023//

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More South Carolinians were working in April than at anytime in history, according to data from the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce.

“April was another great month in South Carolina,” DEW Executive Director William Floyd said in a news release. “The number of people working increased to a record amount of 2,330,701, and the unemployment rate dropped to 3.1% from March’s rate of 3.2%.”

DEW Ececutive Director William Floyd said it's a good time to find a job in the Palmetto State. (Photo/File)The state’s labor force grew by 13,206 individuals, increasing the labor force participation rate to 56.3% from March’s rate of 56.1%, according to Floyd, who recently took over the role after the retirement of Dan Ellzey. The estimate for April is up almost 14,000 from the March estimate, according to DEW figures, and is a 25,238-person increase over April 2022.

“South Carolina’s workforce is a priority for Gov. McMaster and the General Assembly,” Floyd said in the release. “Having been appointed by the governor and recently confirmed by the Senate, it is a privilege to be part of the team helping South Carolina’s workforce and employers.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, South Carolina is one of 17 states with unemployment rates lower than the national rate of 3.4% in April. South Dakota had the country’s lowest rate at 1.9% while Nevada had the highest rate at 5.4%.

Three more SC@Work: Road Trips to rural counties are planned for the rest of the year, with the next series occurring in July, the release said.

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