The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined to 3.1 percent from July’s estimate of 3.2 percent, according to the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce. The seasonally adjusted, monthly survey of households estimated the number of South Carolinians working decreased to 2,320,187. That is a decrease of 3,776 people over the July estimate. It's also a significant increase of 43,839 people over the August 2021 estimate. The estimate of unemployed people decreased to 74,539. That's a decrease of 1,122 people from July’s estimate and a significant decrease of 18,298 over the August 2021 estimate. Nationally, the unemployment rate increased to 3.7 percent from July’s estimate of 3.5 percent, according to the Current Population Survey. The state’s estimated labor force (people working plus unemployed people looking for work) decreased to 2,394,726 from July’s level of 2,399,624. That is a decrease of 4,898 people over the July estimate, and an increase of 25,541 individuals over the August 2021 estimate. The monthly survey of businesses in South Carolina marked an estimated increase of 9,600 nonfarm payroll jobs over the month to a level of 2,242,400. Industries that reported gains were professional and business services (+3,900); trade, transportation, and utilities (+2,300); government (+2,000); manufacturing (+1,300); leisure and hospitality (+1,200); construction (+200); and financial activities (+100). Education and health services (-1,000); other services (-200); and information (-100) industries declined. From August 2021 to August 2022, South Carolina’s economy has picked up 86,000 seasonally adjusted, nonfarm jobs. |