Employment and Workforce Executive Director Dan Ellzey’s Statement

November 2021 Employment Situation

Columbia, SC – “We are very excited to announce that South Carolina currently has more people employed than at any time in our history. The November employment numbers show that we have 2,317,620 people employed, which is 4,302 more than the previous high in October of 2019. And is 18,279 more than the pre-pandemic level in February of 2020,” said S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce Executive Director Dan Ellzey.

“That number is made even more significant by the fact that the United States as a whole has 3,600,000 fewer people employed in November of 2021 than prior to the pandemic in February of 2020,” continued Ellzey.

“Along with the rise in people employed, we also have a significant decrease in the state’s unemployment rate. The November number is 3.7% compared to the October number of 3.9%. 3.7% is a post-pandemic low. In 19 months, our state dropped 7.8 points in its unemployment rate, from 11.5% in April and May of 2020 to the current rate,” said Ellzey.

“And, we can’t let November go without recognizing another milestone. In the week of November 21- 27, we received 776 initial claims for unemployment. This is the first time that initial claims have been below 1,000 in South Carolina since DOL began reporting this information in 1987,” continued Ellzey.

“The best news of all for the unemployed is that there are still more than 100,000 available jobs posted in the SC Works Online Services database,” stated Ellzey. “The Leisure and Hospitality industry added more than 2,500 workers last month. These were sorely needed, and that industry continues to recruit and hire. While that is encouraging, this industry and many others are welcoming the workforce.”

“One industry that offers a variety of jobs, training opportunities, career choices, benefits, and good pay is health care. The sample of job postings from the Bureau of Labor Statistics in the attached chart shows an assortment of selections in the health care field that job seekers should consider. The representatives in the SC Works centers across the state are resourceful and ready to talk with people about how to begin their search for local opportunities or to obtain training that could make them eligible for some of these healthcare positions,” concluded Ellzey.

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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, job seekers and those looking to advance their careers.