South Carolina’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped to 6.6 percent in December, down from 7.1 percent in November. The substantial decrease also marks the first time since 2001 that South Carolina’s rate has dropped below the national average.
The national unemployment rate for December was estimated at 6.7 percent.
The S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce reported Tuesday that since December 2012, the unemployment rate has declined 2.0 percentage points and the total number of unemployed people declined by 43,493. During the same period, 26,824 people found work and 16,669 people left the labor force.
The largest December 2013 gains were in in trade, transportation, utilities, leisure and hospitality and other services, which together added more than 7,400 jobs. Government, construction, education and health services saw declines totaling 2,000 jobs.
In the Upstate, the Greenville metro area saw a 1.4 percent increase in non-farm employment. Spartanburg metro employment increased 0.56 percent, and Anderson metro led the way with a 1.92 percent increase.
“Getting our unemployment rate to this nearly six-year low didn’t happen overnight and didn’t happen by itself – it’s the product of Team South Carolina working together to build the kind of business environment that attracts new companies and encourages existing ones to expand,” said Gov. Nikki Haley in a statement. “The fact that more South Carolinians are working today than since 2008 proves we are moving in the right direction.”
