The findings of the 2020 SC Logistics Economic Impact Study show that the state’s logistics sector remains strong, despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic shutdowns.
“We call logistics the lifeblood of the state’s commerce, and this shows it really is true,” said research economist Joseph Von Nessen, who led the study.
Jobs in logistics, as defined by the study, included logisticians; mangers of transportation, storage and distribution; laborers and freight, stock and material movers; heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers; light truck drivers; industrial truck and tractor operators; and packers and packagers.
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The study, the first of its kind since 2017, found the logistics sector in South Carolina had an annual growth rate of 7%, adding nearly 26,000 jobs in the last three years, up from 113,865 in 2017 to 139,650 jobs in 2020.
That growth rate would have been even higher had it not been for pandemic-related shutdowns, although the sector still managed to grow its employment base by 2.4% from July 2019 to July 2020.
The average salary for all jobs within SC logistics was $47,547 in 2020, which is more than $2,000 more than the state’s average salary of $45,189.
“After reviewing the results of our study, we are very encouraged by the direction and future of the logistics cluster in South Carolina,” said Taylor Jackson, director of SC Logistics for the SC Council on Competitiveness.
