Updated Federal Data Show South Carolina Labor Market Moving Forward

South Carolina businesses reported 105,000 hires in April 2023

Columbia, S.C. – On Wednesday, June 21, 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released new state-level Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) data for April 2023. While the number of job openings in April slightly declined from March, the number of hires increased and the number of quits fell.

Note: Numbers are seasonally adjusted.

“These statistics, along with the recent Employment Situation, show a growing economy as we continue to see increasing numbers of people working across the state.” said Dr. Bryan Grady, Assistant Executive Director of Labor Market Information (LMI) at the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW).

“Job demand remains strong with the number of available positions in the state now being more than double the number of unemployed individuals,” stated DEW Executive Director William Floyd. “The summer also brings an abundance of job opportunities for young people. I encourage parents to help their teenagers find seasonal, part-time work through our SC Works Online Services or by visiting a local SC Works Center. There are DEW representatives at these centers that are trained to specifically assist young people entering the workforce for the first time.”

Please email communications@dew.sc.gov with press inquiries or interview requests for the LMI Division. DEW also has an agency dashboard that provides easily accessible economic and workforce data, and the LMI website at scworkforceinfo.com has been updated to improve the user experience and includes links to our monthly Trends newsletter and many other resources.