S.C. Labor Market Update

According to data released last week from the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (SCDEW), South Carolina’s workforce continues to show growth. The number of individuals working increased by 5,000 from October 2023 levels, bringing the total number of South Carolinians employed up to 2,398,350. This marks a 104,000-person increase over November 2022 levels. Additionally, the state’s labor force, people working plus unemployed people looking for work, grew by 6,609 people from October 2023 levels while the labor force participation rate held steady at 57 percent.

According to SCDEW’s Executive Director William Floyd, while the state unemployment rate experienced a slight increase from 2.9 to 3.0 percent in November, on a month-to-month basis, people are continuing to join the workforce as pay rates have remained competitive with an average hourly wage of $30.48.