Employment and Workforce Executive Director Dan Ellzey’s Statement
May 2022 Employment Situation

Columbia, S.C. – “With an estimated 2,322,089 people employed, South Carolina now has approximately 73,000 more individuals working than pre-pandemic, and almost 10,000 more than April’s 2,312,654,” said S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce Executive Director Dan Ellzey. “The number of unemployed is virtually unchanged at 79,162, and the rate remains the same at 3.3 percent.”

“The state’s labor force is up again to 2,401,251, and the labor force participation rate is up to 57.5 percent. This is ahead of February 2020’s pre-pandemic rate of 57.4 percent,” said S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce Executive Director Dan Ellzey.

“At the same time that we have had all these gains, South Carolina now has the highest number of job openings posted in SC Works Online Services (SCWOS) in recorded history with more than 114,000 postings,” continued Ellzey. “And average wages are essentially the same, down three cents from April.”

“Manufacturing jobs are among the best in South Carolina. If jobseekers are looking for employment that spans different specialties, supports career paths and job growth, and has flexibility for workers to learn skills, manufacturing is a great fit,” said Ellzey. “Weekly wages in manufacturing have grown by 16.7% in the last two years and jobs in the industry are up by more than 4,000 since January of this year.”

“If you need help finding a manufacturing job, or any other job, visit one of the state’s many SC Works centers to find out more about who is hiring in your area and how our job search professionals can help you,” concluded Ellzey.