South Carolina’s Employment Situation for September 2012

SOUTH CAROLINA, SC – October 19, 2012 – In September, the state’sseasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 9.1 percent from theAugust estimate of 9.6 percent. Over the month, the number of unemployed people dropped by 10,738 to 194,253. The September 2012 unemploymentrate estimate was 1.1 percentage points lower than the year-ago rate of10.2 percent. The estimated number of employed people increased by13,329 to 1,940,026 in September, and the labor force climbed by anestimated 2,591 people to 2,134,279.

Nationally, the unemployment rate decreased from 8.1 percent in Augustto 7.8 percent in September. Employment increased 873,000 people. Ofthose newly employed, an estimated 582,000 went to work in part-timejobs for economic reasons.

South Carolina’s non-seasonally adjusted nonagricultural employment was estimated at 1,862,600, an increase of 6,400 over the month. SinceSeptember 2011, the number of jobs in the state was up 30,000 (about 1.6 percent). Nationally, the number of jobs was up approximately 1.4percent from a year ago.

Employment by Industry

• September was the ninth out of the past 12 months in which the state experienced job growth. During the month, the industry gaining the most jobs was Government (15,500 jobs, 4.7 percent), mostly in thesub-sector of government education services.
• Other industries gaining jobs were Educational and Health Services(3,300 jobs, 1.5 percent) and Manufacturing (400 jobs, 0.2 percent).These gains were due to hiring completion for the fall school term, anincrease in health care and social assistance demand and an increase indurable goods manufacturing.
• Industries losing jobs during the month included Leisure andHospitality (-5,800, -2.6 percent); Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (-2,500 jobs, -0.7 percent); Professional and Business Services (-2,100 jobs, -0.9 percent); Construction (-1,900 jobs, -2.48 percent);Financial Activities (-200, -0.2 percent); and Information (-200, -0.7percent). These industry job losses were due to the end of the summertourism season, a decline for administrative and support services and aweakening in demand for specialty trade contractors.