Newest Jobs Data is a Mixed Bag for SC

The Numbers:

There was good and bad news for South Carolina according to new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. While the number of people in the labor force (those working or looking for work) increased by 12,380 to 2,323,023 people during the month of February, South Carolina lost approximately 1,800 jobs after adjusting for seasonal employment. The unemployment rate, which measures the number of people within the labor force that are unemployed, held steady from January to February at 4.4%.

Commentary:

February’s job report is a mixed bag for the Palmetto State. While the increase in the labor force participation rate is welcome news, possibly indicating increased employment or optimism that people will be able to find jobs if they actively begin looking, February’s job creation is a step backward from January’s numbers when the South Carolina economy added just over 5,300 jobs.