The unemployment rate in South Carolina jumped to 12.3 percent in November, setting a record high for the state, the State Employment Security Commission reported Friday.
Three of the 10 counties with the highest unemployment rates are located in the Pee Dee.
Marion County ranked second with an unemployment rate of 21.4, up from 20.4 percent in October.
Marlboro County followed closely at third on the list with an October unemployment rate of 20.1 percent, down from 20.8 percent in October.
Dillon County ranked ninth with an unemployment rate of 17.7 percent, up from 17.6 percent in October.
Rounding out Pee Dee and Grand Strand counties were:
- No. 11: Chesterfield County at 17.0 percent, down from 17.3 in October
- No. 15: Williamsburg County at 16.7 percent, up from 15.9 percent in October
- No. 23: Georgetown County at 14 percent, up from 12.8 percent in October
- No. 25: Horry County at 13.3 percent, up from 12.1 percent in October
- No. 27: Darlington County at 13.1 percent, up from 12.8 percent in October
- No. 32: Florence County at 12.4 percent, up from 12.0 percent in October
“We have seen an increase in the number of people returning to the work force for the first time since May, and we will likely see the number of unemployed rise throughout the fall months,” Sam Foster, interim executive director of the commission, said. “Going forward, extensive job creation in the private sector will be a key factor in lowering the state’s unemployment rate for the long term.”
Judy Jordan, assistant area director for the S.C. Employment Security Commission in Florence, said she’s seen no drastic change in the Pee Dee in the last month.
“As far a regular unemployment, we haven’t seen any real increase in traffic,” she said. “The only increase we’ve seen is because the emergency extension was extended again.”
The state’s job count decreased by 1,500 in November, with most of the decreases occurring in construction (-1,700), and leisure and hospitality (-6,600). Partially offsetting the losses were gains in government (+1,900), retail trade (+1,100), professional and business services (+2,600) and manufacturing (+600). Of note, gains in It’s the first time since May 2008 there have been gains in the manufacturing sector.
The state’s overall job count was 50,800 below the year-ago level and nearly 95,200 below the December 2007 level when the recession began.
“The November labor market data are weak, even though national indicators continue to suggest the recession is technically over,” Dr. Don Schunk, Coastal Carolina University research economist, said.
“We talk often about the outlook for a ‘jobless recovery’ similar to that experienced after the previous recession. Unfortunately, we’re not even at that point yet, for now we appear to be stuck with a ‘job-loss’ recovery,’” Schunk said. “We should be concerned about the sustainability of any recovery when we continue to post job losses.”
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