SC Unemployment Situation

Last week, the SC Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) released the July monthly employment situation report for South Carolina. Highlights include:

• The seasonally adjusted monthly survey of households estimated the number of South Carolinians working increased to 2,299,509.  
  • That is an increase of 10,217 people over the June 2021 estimate and a significant increase of 55,704 people over the July 2020 estimate. 
• Unemployment estimates decreased to 103,464 people. 
  • That is a decrease of 3,603 people from the June 2021 estimate and a substantial decrease of 80,006 over the July 2020 estimate. 
• The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased from 4.5% in June to 4.3% in July (the unemployment rate nationally decreased from 5.9% in June to 5.4% in July). 
• The state’s estimated labor force (people working plus unemployed people looking for work) increased to 2,402,973. 
  • That is an increase of 6,614 people over the June 2021 estimate and a decrease of 24,302 individuals over the July 2020 estimate. 
• From July 2020 to July 2021, South Carolina’s economy picked up 98,000 seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs.