Columbia Ranks Ninth in the Nation for Job Growth

COLUMBIA, SC – April 15, 2008 – Job growth in the United States has slipped significantly from 1.0% annual growth six months ago, to a 0.4% year-over-year growth according to March 2008 data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Even in a time of economic slowdown, many cities are still posting significant job growth.

The top three cities for job growth for the year ending February 2008 were Raleigh, NC (3.9%), Houston, TX (3.4%) and Greenville, SC (2.9%), while Charleston, SC (2.1%) ranked sixth and Columbia, SC (1.9%) ranked ninth in the nation for job growth.

Also during the year ending in February 2008 the total number of unemployed in South Carolina decreased by 6,900, resulting in a decrease in the rate of unemployment from 6.2% to 5.8%.