The S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce Announces a Redesign of its Monthly Data Trends Publication to Provide More Data and Content

Columbia, SC – The S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) is pleased to announce the launch of its redesigned South Carolina Data Trends publication. The latest issue of Trends was released this morning and features state and local labor market information for both January and February 2022, the latter being the most current data available. Trends has been redesigned to place a strong emphasis on visibility, user-friendliness, and reader comprehension.

The extensive 32-page spread that comprises today’s issue features more data charts and graphs that display state and local area unemployment statistics, employment statistics, labor force participation, average weekly and hourly earnings, payroll averages by economic sector, long-run trends, and more. The redesigned Trends also offers in-depth explanations on the data provided, resources, and even a Technical Notes section with a glossary and breakdown of data sources, including Current Employment Statistics and Local Area Unemployment Statistics produced in conjunction with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“Labor market information is wide-ranging and complex, and we did not want to impede anyone’s understanding of the data our agency features in Trends,” stated Executive Director Dan Ellzey. “Professionals who have experience with these types of data sets will benefit significantly from this redesign because we are ultimately sharing more information in an accessible, simplified, and efficient manner. Moreover, people with little to no understanding of the labor market can still benefit considerably from this redesign because we not only share the data, but describe what it is, where it comes from, and what impact this information has on our state’s workforce.”

The redesigned Trends will also continue to feature Notes from the Director from Dr. Bryan Grady, the agency’s Labor Market Information Director and founding member of the South Carolina Labor Force Participation Task Force. “My team in the Labor Market Information Division produces a truly monumental amount of data every month in collaboration with our federal partners,” said Dr. Bryan Grady. “We are updating the content of this publication to reflect that. This new format will provide a greater level of detail about specific industries and our state’s cities and metropolitan areas. Ultimately, the goal is to provide policymakers, private industry, and others in the workforce ecosystem with the data needed to help South Carolina prosper.”

The Labor Market Information Division at DEW is also excited at the prospect of collaborating more with other agencies and organizations on research projects. Interested parties can reach out to the Division by emailing them at LMICustomerService@dew.sc.gov with any ideas or questions regarding Trends. You can learn more about the Division, labor market data, publications, and more at scworkforceinfo.com.

Members of the press can also reach out to Communications@dew.sc.gov for any inquiries, statements, or interviews about the publication and Labor Market Information Division. Anyone who wishes to receive the latest issues of Trends in their inbox each month is encouraged to subscribe to its mailing list here.