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S.C. unemployment rate remains at 3.3% in October

Staff Report //November 16, 2018//

S.C. unemployment rate remains at 3.3% in October

Staff Report //November 16, 2018//

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South Carolina’s unemployment rate remained unchanged from September to October at 3.3%, though the number of people working in the state increased by 3,430 to a record level of 2,231,027.

The state’s labor force increased by 2,909 to 2,307,247, the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce said, while unemployment levels decreased by 521 to 76,220.

The national unemployment rate also remained unchanged at 3.7%.

Since October of 2017, the state’s employment gains have totaled 9,552, with the level of unemployment declining by 21,714 people and the labor force dropping by 12,162.

“South Carolina is enjoying the benefit of a strong economy coupled with simultaneous record high employment levels and a continued record low unemployment rate,” S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce director Cheryl Stanton said in a statement. “It is during these thriving times that our agency must work harder than ever to connect with individuals who have had challenges along the path to employment.”

The state’s leisure and hospitality industry reported a gain of 8,900 in October, while education and health services saw a drop of 1,400.

Richland County unemployment remained unchanged in October at 3.3%, down from 4.3% in October 2017. In Lexington County, unemployment ticked up slightly to 2.8% from 2.7%, down from 3.7% in October 2017.

Charleston County remained at 2.7% unemployment, putting it at the lowest rate in the state. That was the same as last month and down from 3.4% a year ago. Dorchester County dropped from 3.0% to 2.9% month to month, which was down fro 3.8% last year. Berkeley County had the same numbers as Dorchester, except its number a year ago was 3.7%.

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