Employment and Workforce Executive Director Dan Ellzey’s Statement

June 2020 Employment Situation

“There are many promising economic indicators in June’s Employment Situation, as reported in the seasonally adjusted, monthly survey of South Carolinians. More than 105,000 people rejoined the workforce since last month’s release. That means we now have more than 2,222,000 South Carolinians working. While that is not as high as the March level, it does show great improvement,” states executive director Dan Ellzey.

“Another economic marker to note is the drastic decrease in the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate to 8.7%. While that is nowhere near the March level of 3.2%, it is dramatically better than the May number of 12.4%. It is also significantly better than the US national average of 11.1%. These positive economic numbers would not have been possible without the reopening of the state. It is encouraging to see that our businesses can re-open and comply with strict safety protocols to protect employees and customers. The continued success of our businesses, to both re-open and remain safe, is imperative for the state’s economic recovery,” continued Ellzey.

“There is still a long way to go and there’s much work to be done. We still have South Carolinians filing initial claims at a rate that is double of what we saw in 2009. We will continue to process these claims as quickly as possible and get benefits into the hands of eligible claimants,” concluded Ellzey.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCE: Read the full explanation for a better understanding of how the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics utilizes trained Census Bureau employees to capture critical labor force data each month (PDF).

About the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce

The S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce is putting South Carolinians to work. The agency has four missions: (1) workforce development; (2) free job match employment services; (3) unemployment insurance; and (4) labor market information. All four missions contribute to workforce development. The agency is dedicated to advancing South Carolina through services and programs that meet the needs of our businesses, jobseekers and those looking to advance their careers.