South Carolina’s August unemployment rate saw the biggest decrease in three decades, falling from 6.4 percent to 6 percent. This is also the third straight month the unemployment rate has seen a decline.
Cheryl Stanton, executive director of S.C.’s Department of Employment and Workforce, released a statement confirming this was the most dramatic drop in the unemployment rate in 32 years, and "it is exciting to think that more South Carolinians than ever before are working and providing for their families. While we need to celebrate this, we also must continue to invest in developing a pipeline of trained workers to meet the needs of the state’s current and future employers.”
Employment also set a record, increasing by 2,771 jobs in the month of August. The number of unemployed South Carolinians saw the largest ever one-month drop, with a decrease of 7,910 individuals.
Governor Nikki Haley said these numbers “reflect the fact that more South Carolinians are working than any time in history. Whether it's another business expansion, another groundbreaking or another drop in our unemployment rate, there are great things happening in our state, and we should continue to celebrate the South Carolina success that people all over the country and all over the world are talking about."
The national unemployment rate dropped 2 percentage points from July to 5.1 percent.
