SC Economy Shows Key Sign of Strength

SC Economy Shows Key Sign of Strength

Recently released job numbers for the month of March show not only was there a rise in the number of jobs available to South Carolina residents, but also a rise in the number of people in the labor force. The labor force, defined by those who are working or are actively looking for work, increased by 9,763 to 2,333,186 people during the month of March.

This is good news for the Palmetto State and a key sign of economic strength. More people entering the labor force with jobs or beginning to actively seek work again means South Carolinians have a growing confidence that if they begin looking for work, they will find a job.

After adjusting for seasonal employment, South Carolina gained a total of 1,400 jobs in the month of March with the Trade, Transportation and Utilities sector adding the most jobs: 2,200.

Since March of last year, the South Carolina labor force increased by 36,734 and after adjusting for seasonal employment, South Carolina gained approximately 35,800 jobs.

The unemployment rate, which measures the number of people within the labor force actively seeking employment, held steady at 4.4% for the third consecutive month. Since March of 2016, the unemployment rate has decreased by .9 percentage points.