Despite economic challenges from COVID-19 infections, supply chain issues and increased inflation, Greenville County’s unemployment has improved almost a full percentage point — from 3.7% to to 2.8% — in the past six months, according to a report from South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (SCDEW).
Meanwhile, according to SCDEW, median wages for the Greenville metro area went from $25.12/hour in December 2019 to $28.54/hour in December 2021, a bump of 13.6%. The average wage for South Carolina workers has increased from $25.36/hour in December 2019 to $27.36/hour in December 2021, up 7.9%, SCDEW reported.
“December’s Consumer Price Index showed that prices were 7% higher than the year before, the highest reading in four decades,” SCDEW reported. “At the same time, however, wages earned by South Carolinians also increased substantially as employers compete to attract workers.”
Meanwhile, there are 7,240 people claiming unemployment out of a 251,977-person workforce, statewide, according to the latest data.
The most popular jobs, according to SCDEW, are in health care/social assistance, retail trade and accommodations & food service.
S.C. job postings by industry, December 2021
| # of job postings | |
| Health care and social assistance | 16,580 |
| Retail trade | 9,915 |
| Accommodation and food service | 7,747 |
| Finance and insurance | 5,606 |
| Manufacturing | 5,588 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 4,844 |
| Public administration | 2,963 |
| Educational services | 2,881 |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services |
2,634 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 2,420 |
Source: SC Department of Employment and Workforce
Top occupations advertised online*
- Nursing: 171 job openings
- Retail salespeople: 53
- First-line supervisors of production and operating workers: 44
- Surgical technologists: 43
- First-line supervisors of retail sales workers: 39
