South Carolina’s Employment Situation August 2017

Unemployment rate inches up in August, employer payrolls hit record level

The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased slightly in August to 4 percent from 3.9 percent in July.

The over-the-month change in the number of individuals working declined by 2,208 to 2,225,610 people. The count of unemployed people grew by 1,460 to 93,067. The state’s labor force decreased 748 to 2,318,677 people.

Since August 2016, the labor force has grown by 21,448 people, and employment gains totaled 34,940. The level of unemployed decreased 13,492.

Nationally, the unemployment rate increased from 4.3 percent in July to 4.4 percent in August.

 

 

 

DEW Executive Director Cheryl Stanton’s Statement

“This past month, I’ve seen how truly blessed South Carolina is to have a robust and growing economy. After receiving the devastating news of the V.C. Summer nuclear facility closure that resulted in the loss of thousands of jobs, our business community came together and provided opportunities to many of the affected workers. But we realize there are more families around the state that have been impacted by unemployment, and we are working to help them find jobs. I am encouraged as South Carolina businesses are hiring, and her economy is strong,” said Cheryl Stanton, executive director of the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce.

 

 

 

 

Nonfarm Employment by Industry (Seasonally Adjusted¹)

The August over July seasonally adjusted, nonfarm payroll employment increased by 6,200 in South Carolina, hitting a record high level of 2,094,900.

• Job gains were recorded in Professional and Business Services (+5,500); Government (+1,700); Other Services (+1,100); Education and Health Services (+1,000); Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (+700); Manufacturing (+300); and Information (+300).
• Industries noting losses were Construction (-2,700); Leisure and Hospitality (-1,400); and Financial Activities (-400).

Compared to August 2016, seasonally adjusted, nonfarm jobs were up 35,600.

• Industries with over-the-year gains were Manufacturing (+10,100); Professional and Business Services (+8,800); Education and Health Services (+6,200); Government (+5,600); Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (+4,500); Financial Activities (+800); and Leisure and Hospitality (+500).
• Decreases were reported in the Construction (-400); Information (-400); and Other Services (-300) sectors.

 

Nonfarm Employment by Industry (Not Seasonally Adjusted²)

Not seasonally adjusted, nonfarm payroll employment increased by 4,800 from July 2017 to August 2017 for a total of 2,094,300. Historically, employment has experienced growth during the month of August as schools gear up for the semester but growth was concentrated primarily in Professional and Business Services (+4,100).

• Over the month, additional upticks in employment came from Education and Health Services (+2,900); Government (+2,700); and Other Services (+1,600). Manufacturing (+700); Information (+200); Financial Activities (+200); andMining and Logging (+100) also added jobs during the month. Declines were seen in Construction (-4,500) and Leisure and Hospitality (-3,100), while Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (-100) dropped slightly.
• Since August 2016, not seasonally adjusted, nonfarm jobs were up 32,900 overall. Annual industrial gains were in Manufacturing (+10,200); Professional and Business Services (+8,300); Education and Health Services (+5,000); Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (+4,400); Government (+3,800); Leisure and Hospitality (+1,400); Financial Activities (+1,000); and Mining and Logging (+200). Decreases occurred in Construction (-700); Other Services (-500); and Information (-200).

 

 

About DEW

The S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) is putting South Carolinians to work. The agency invests in building a pipeline of quality workers, matches workers with jobs, and is a bridge for individuals who find themselves out of work for no fault of their own. This promotes financial stability and economic prosperity for employers, individuals and communities. DEW is dedicated to advancing South Carolina through services that meet the needs of the state’s businesses, jobseekers and those looking to advance their careers.