Staff Report
Published Aug. 1, 2012

The number of help wanted listings advertised online in South Carolina dropped by 2,200 in July, according to The Conference Board Help Wanted Online, a national organization that tracks advertised listings.

The number is a sharp contrast to June’s report, which showed the state gaining 4,000 online job listings, according to the board.

Previous coverage S.C. online job listings up 4,000 in June Online S.C. job vacancies up 600 in May Online advertised jobs rise by 400 in April Online job postings up 1,600 in S.C.

South Carolina followed the national trend. The board reported that the number of online advertised vacancies across the country fell by 153,600 in July to around 4.79 million. In June, the board recorded an increase of 232,000 jobs.

Still, the board said the labor climate is improving.

"Over the last three years labor demand continued to move forward, albeit slowly, making this a very slow-growth recovery and an indication of the lingering economic uncertainty of employers," said June Shelp, board vice president.

The average monthly increase for labor demand was 39,000 in 2010, and up to 50,000 in 2011. In the first seven months of 2012, the increase is up to an average of 67,000 per month.

Across the South, the number of online job listings fell by 20,200. Only Florida posted an increase with 5,600 jobs. Georgia lost 2,400 and North Carolina fell by 300.