S.C. unemployment falls to 5.6 percent, lowest since June 2007

South Carolina’s unemployment rate has fallen for the fifth month in a row.

The S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce said Friday that the state’s jobless rate was at 5.6 percent in October. That’s a tenth of a percentage point down from its 5.7 percent mark in September.

The new rate also represents South Carolina’s lowest unemployment since June 2007. Nationally, the unemployment rate dropped from 5.1 percent to 5.0 percent.

Regionally, York County remained at 5.3 percent while Chester rose three-tenths of a percentage point to 7.9 percent, putting the county at No. 10 for unemployment statewide. Lancaster County’s rate dropped slightly from 6.2 percent to 6.1 percent.

Nationally the rate dropped from 5.1 percent in September to 5 percent in October.

In October, the number of employed South Carolinians increased by more than 7,800 to a record level of more than 2.1 million.

Workforce officials said the professional and business services sector added 6,700 jobs over the last month. Education and health services grew by 2,700 positions.

Compared to a year ago, seasonally adjusted, nonfarm jobs were up 57,100.

This story was originally published November 20, 2015 at 6:45 PM with the headline "S.C. unemployment falls to 5.6 percent, lowest since June 2007."