South Carolina has historically low unemployment. York County is one big reason why.
If having a job is cause for thanksgiving, there are plenty of South Carolina residents who can celebrate this month.
The South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce just released October data on workers in the state. While the national unemployment rate rose slightly to 3.6%, the state rate dropped to an historic low at 2.6%. The .3% change from September puts South Carolina a full percentage point lower than the nation as a whole.
“The news is astounding,” said Dan Ellzey, employment and workforce executive director. “An unemployment rate of 2.6%. More than 58,000 new jobs created in 2019. More than 12,000 people removed from the unemployed ranks during this year. This is the best news that employees could possibly get.”
Ellzey said the news is split for employers.
“The incredibly low unemployment rate will make it more difficult to find employees,” he said. “On the other hand, our agency’s announcement of a 34% tax rate cut for unemployment insurance will save South Carolina businesses approximately $68 million.”
In York County, unemployment is lower even than the state mark.
York County registered 2% unemployment in October. That figure isn’t quite what it was in September at 1.8%, but is a full point lower than York County registered in October 2018 at 3%.
Lancaster County unemployment in October matched the state mark at 2.6%, up from the September county mark of 2.2% but down from the 3.5% unemployment rate from October 2018.
Chester County had unemployment at 3% in October, up from 2.7% a month earlier. The Chester County rate is down considerably from the 4.6 unemployment in October 2018.
State statistics show the biggest job gains in a month come from financial services; leisure and hospitality; trade, transportation and utilities; and construction. Manufacturing jobs dropped for the month, but rose almost 2.7% in the past year. Information jobs and professional or business services dropped both month-to-month and for the past year.
The state estimates there are more than 2.3 million people working in South Carolina. That record high is up more than 7,000 people from September and more than 64,000 workers from a year prior.
Just more than 62,000 people are unemployed, down more than 6,800 people from September and more than 12,500 from October 2018.
With such low unemployment, Ellzey said his department is working to find and train employees to fill open positions.
“Whether it is ‘smart training,’ flexible shift options or other innovative approaches toward finding employees, we are working hard on the issue and we invite business to bring us their challenges,” he said. “We will build a tailored program to find and prepare jobseekers for their work.”
The Catawba workforce development area covers York, Lancaster and Chester counties. In 2009 the area had a 14.9% unemployment rate, well higher than both the state and federal figures. It’s been on the decline each year since, to 3.5% in 2018.
The October unemployment rate of 2.2% is an uptick from the month prior. In September, the workforce area had a combined 1.9% unemployment rate. It’s more than a full point lower than the month prior, with the rate hovering between 3% and 3.7% each month since at least September 2018.
The state estimates about 58% of workers in the tri-county area both live and work within it. About 29% travel outside those counties for work, with figures higher for residents closest to Charlotte. Almost 13% of workers in the tri-county area live outside it.
More than 10,600 workers come into the area from Mecklenburg County. More than 36,000 tri-county residents travel to Mecklenburg County for work.
More than half the employers in the tri-county area — more than 5,000 total employers — have four or fewer employees. Only a dozen have 1,000 more more employees.
The 20 largest employers in the tri-county area include five school districts, two municipalities and others from Piedmont Medical Center and Comporium to Duke Energy, Lash Group, LPL Financial, Upper Palmetto YMCA and Winthrop University.
Top job openings in the area include nurses, retail workers, customer service, food preparation or service and cashiers.
State workforce data adjusts figures for season changes, like schools letting out or tourism picking up during the summer, and retail spiking around the holidays.
