Staff Report
Published March 10, 2010

South Carolina’s unemployment rate increased to 12.6 % in January as the number of unemployed residents surpassed 273,000 — a state record, the state Employment Security Commission reported today.

Nationally, the jobless rate decreased from 10.0 % in December to 9.7% in January.

All S.C. counties reported increased unemployment rates in January, with only Lexington and Beaufort counties reporting single-digit unemployment rates, at 9.4% and 9.8% respectively. Charleston and Richland counties had unemployment rates of 10.6%, the third-lowest rate in the state.

Nearly one-fourth of Allendale and Marion counties’ residents are unemployed. The counties are tied for having the state’s highest unemployment rate in January at 24.3%, up 2% and 2.5%, respectively.

The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics revised December’s rate from 12.6% to 12.4%. The state’s labor force was estimated at 2.175 million in January, up 3,569 over the December level. The number of unemployed people climbed 4,605 to 273,455.

The nonfarm job count decreased by 27,700 in January. Retail trade cut 7,700 positions in January as temporary help was released after the holiday season. This was followed by losses in leisure and hospitality (-4,800), professional and business services (-4,100), education and health services (-4,100) and construction (-1,700).

Government jobs were down 4,500 for the month. The overall job count for January was 42,800 below the year-ago level. Manufacturing showed little change for the month.

According to newly benchmarked unemployment estimates, South Carolina's unemployment rate averaged 11.7% in 2009

Unemployment rate by region: