S.C. unemployment rate drops to 4.1% in September

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South Carolina’s unemployment rate dropped to 4.1% in September from 4.2% in August.  

The S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce’s seasonally adjusted, monthly survey of households estimated the number of South Carolinians working at 2,307,087, an increase of 4,167 people from August and an increase of 14,569 from September 2020.  

Unemployment estimates dropped to 98,170 people, a decrease of 3,311 people from August and down 32,230 from September 2020. The state’s estimated labor force, or people working plus unemployed people looking for work, increased to 2,405,257, up 856 people from August and a decrease of 17,661 from September 2020.  

Nationally, the unemployment rate decreased to 4.8% in September from 5.2% in August.  

S.C. industries reporting gains were leisure and hospitality, which added 3,400 jobs, and education and health services, which added 2,300. Manufacturing lost 1,600 jobs and professional and business services lost 1,500.  

The Columbia metropolitan statistical area gained 2,200 jobs from August to September and added 7,500 from September 2020. Charleston/North Charleston added 500 month-to-month and 12,700 year-to-year, while Greenville/Anderson Mauldin added 600 and 900, respectively. The Spartanburg MSA added 600 jobs from August to September and 6,700 from September 2020.  

Unemployment decreased in every S.C. county from August to September, according to DEW statistics. Richland County saw a drop to 3.4% in September from 4.4% in August and 5.4% in September 2020. In Lexington County, where unemployment stood at 3.5% in September 2020, saw a drop to 2.5% in September from 3.3% in August.