Published: Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009 / Updated: Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009 12:46 AM

Area's double-digit jobless rates still rising

Jobless rates in York, Chester and Lancaster counties rose slightly again in October, state employment officials said Friday, representing the 10th straight month with double-digit unemployment rates in all three counties.

South Carolina's jobless rate rose to 12.1 percent during October, tying an all-time high for the state set in June.

The latest figures issued Friday by the S.C. Employment Security Commission show York County with a 15.7 percent jobless rate, up 0.3 percentage points from September.

“We can feel it. We know that it's still rising,” said Annie Reid, director of the Rock Hill Workforce Center. “People are still laying off. … I don't think we've quite bottomed out yet.”

As the holidays approach, Reid said, those without jobs feel an even greater sense of urgency to find work.

“People get a little more testy,” she said. “We just have to soothe them and try to solve as many problems as we can during what little time we have.”

Chester County's rate climbed to 21.6 percent, up from 21.4 percent, while the rate in Lancaster County jumped to 19.2 percent, up .3 percentage points from the previous month.

York County's unemployment rate in September originally was reported at 14.1 percent, but after an adjustment by the ESC, the rate jumped 1.3 percentage points. Adjustments of fractions of a point are common from month to month, but even a jump of more than a point isn't out of ordinary, said Sam McClary, a state labor market analyst.

“Given the kind of times we're in, I wouldn't call that really unexpected,” he said.

A larger-than-normal adjustment in interstate claims could be the reason, McClary said.

Those are claims made by people who work in one state but whose unemployment paperwork is handled in the state where they live.

Said Reid of the jump, “I just know that I'm working really hard here, so it really doesn't surprise me.”

Workers at the Lancaster Workforce Center also remain busy, but there has been a noticeable decline in the number of clients in the past week or so, said David Veal, assistant area director.

“It looks like everything's slowing down as far as the number of layoffs,” he said.

He attributes the decline in part to a job fair help this week by the Red Ventures Internet marketing firm, which recently opened a new corporate headquarters in Indian Land and looks to hire 85 people for immediate sales jobs and plans to fill around 1,000 positions over the next five to seven years.

Seasonal retail jobs, such as cashiers and stockers, are helping people find work, even if it's only temporary, Veal said.

“We're hoping things will keep turning in the right direction,” he said. “We're very optimistic here.”

Overall, the state's job count in October was 60,500 below the same time last year and nearly 95,000 below December 2007 when the recession began.

President Barack Obama signed a $24 billion economic stimulus bill this month that included another 20 weeks of jobless benefits for S.C. workers.

Those out of work in South Carolina now are eligible for up to 99 weeks — nearly two years — of unemployment checks.

But many of the federal extensions atop the 26 weeks offered by the state are set to end Dec. 31 unless they are extended by Congress.