The Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) announced on Friday that South Carolina's unemployment rate had fallen by half of a percentage point in September. The decrease, from a rate of 9.6 percent in August to 9.1, is the largest month-to-month improvement since January of 2007.
Since September of 2011, the state has added approximately 30,000 jobs according to DEW. The number of employed increased by more than 13,000 in September.
The bulk of the gains came in the Goverment, Education and Health Services sectors where nearly 19,000 jobs were added, many of which were tied to the start of the school year.
The biggest losses were also seasonal as the Leisure and Hospitality sector lost nearly 6,000 jobs with the end of summer. Trade, Transportation, and Utilities, Professional and Business Services, Construction; Financial Activities combined to lose approximately 6,500 jobs due to a decline in demand for administrative and support services and a weakening in demand for specialty trade contractors.
Gov. Nikki Haley's spokesman, Rob Godfrey issued the following statement on today’s unemployment news: "While we welcome this news, it's important to remember that any changes in the unemployment rate from one month to the next don't mean all that much. What matters is looking at the trend over a longer period of time. We’re pleased that from the day we took office until now, the unemployment rate has dropped from 10.6 percent to 9.1 percent. But there's no doubt we still have a long ways to go to create an economy in which everyone in South Carolina who wants a job has a job. We will continue to work hard every day to accomplish that goal."
“Today’s announcement about the drop in the unemployment rate is a welcome change,” said Abraham J. Turner, executive director of the SC Department of Employment and Workforce. “I am confident that with the help of businesses in the Palmetto State and the continued hard work of DEW employees, we will ensure that every South Carolinian who wants a job, gets a job,” Turner said.