Image by Ken Hawkins/Data from Bureau of Labor StatisticsImage by unemployment.jpg Unemployment for South Carolina.
In March, South Carolina observed its highest unemployment rate in recent memory: 11.4%
Online tracking data for South Carolina goes back to 1976 and in no month was the rate equal; coming the closest in January 1983.
Read more stories on this subject in our unemployment topic page.On the upside, the state gained nearly 7,000 jobs in March -- they were mainly focused on the leisure/hospitality and retail industries. Meanwhile manufacturing and construction lost 2,900 and 1,600 jobs, respectively.
In all, South Carolina had 94,000 fewer jobs than a year ago.
The Charleston metro still faired relatively well with a 9.1% unemployment -- it's flabbergasting how that is a good thing.
Below is a table of the most recent results, but for loads more info hop over to the S.C. Employment Security Commission's press release.
| County | March | Feb. | Change | |
| 1 | Allendale | 22.3 | 23.3 | -1.0 |
| 2 | Marion | 21.1 | 21.8 | -0.7 |
| 3 | Chester | 20.6 | 20.7 | -0.1 |
| ... | ||||
| 35 | Berkeley | 10.2 | 10.2 | 0.0 |
| 36 | Jasper | 10.1 | 10.5 | -0.4 |
| 37 | Edgefield | 9.9 | 10.9 | -1.0 |
| Pickens | 9.9 | 9.7 | 0.2 | |
| 39 | Dorchester | 9.7 | 9.8 | -0.1 |
| ... | ||||
| 43 | Aiken | 8.6 | 9.4 | -0.8 |
| Beaufort | 8.6 | 8.6 | 0.0 | |
| 45 | Charleston | 8.4 | 8.2 | 0.2 |
| 46 | Lexington | 7.9 | 7.8 | 0.1 |
