State unemployment up in February

COLUMBIA — The state’s unemployment continued its climb in February, reaching 11 percent in the latest round of numbers released by the State Employment Security Commission on Friday. The rate was up from the revised 10.3 percent rate for January.

Total employment in South Carolina is down 4.6 percent during the last 12 months — the fastest annual rate of job loss since May 1975, according to data provided by Dr. Don Schunk, a research economist at Coastal Carolina University.

The unemployment rate is the highest jobless rate in the state since March of 1983 when the rate also hit 11.1 percent.

The commission says the number of unemployed in February increased by 15,000 people to 241,000.

Marion County’s unemployment rate decreased slightly from 22.1 in January to 21.9 percent in February, but still had the second highest rate in the state.

Marlboro County had the state’s fourth-highest rate in February at 19.7 percent, up from 19.5 percent in January.

Chesterfield County had the state’s eighth-highest rate at 17.6 percent, up from 16.7 percent.

Dillon County was in 12th place at 16.8 percent, up from 16.2 percent in January.

Williamsburg County tied with Clarendon County for No. 14 at 16.1 percent, up from 15.6 percent.

Horry County tied for No. 19 at 14.3, unchanged from January. Georgetown County tied at No. 27 at 13.1 percent, up from 12.9 percent.

Darlington County ranked No. 25 at 13.3 percent, up from 12.9 percent, while Florence County tied for No. 33 at 11.1 percent, up from 10.5 percent.

“I don’t foresee it slowing down for the next couple of months,” said Connie Ford, area director for the Employment Security Commission in Florence. “We’ve continued to see workers who were laid off either temporarily or permanently and we averaged over 300 individuals a day seeking our services.”

Schunk predicts that the state’s unemployment rate will continue to rise well into early 2010.

“Overall, the economy remains in a deep recession and while there have been some scattered signs of improvement nationally, there remain some fundamental obstacles working to hold back the economy,” he said in his report. “I suspect we will continue to receive scattered reports that surprise to the upside, but the negative momentum built up behind the economy right now will take time to subside.”

In February, Allendale County had the highest unemployment rate at 23.4 percent. Lexington County had the lowest rate at 7.9 percent.

Gov. Mark Sanford has said much of the unemployment problem comes from growth in the state’s labor force. The commission says the labor force increased by nearly 5,600 in February.

The national unemployment rate was 8.1 percent in February.

— The Associated Press contributed to this report.