Employment and Workforce Executive Director Dan Ellzey’s Statement

December 2022 Employment Situation

Columbia, S.C. – “South Carolina ended 2022 with a steady unemployment rate of 3.3% and nearly 99,000 jobs posted in SC Works Online Services. In comparison, the national unemployment rate for December was 3.5%,” said S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce Executive Director Dan Ellzey. “We have seen strong employment growth throughout last year and hourly earnings continue to be high with an average of $28.66. While the number of employed individuals has dipped in the last few months, the decrease is only down by a little over 1% since June of last year. Due to the influx of seasonal employment that occurs in December and January of every year, we naturally see a rise in unemployment claims as those temporary holiday jobs end. It is cyclical and temporary.”

“The state is attracting businesses at record levels, creating thousands of jobs in hundreds of careers. South Carolinians are needed in the workforce and there is a place for everyone,” said Ellzey. “Knowing the importance of building our future workforce, as well as making career and educational resources accessible to all, Speaker of the House Murrell Smith announced a bill last week developed by the Economic Development and Utility Modernization Ad Hoc Committee that centralizes statewide workforce development programs and resources within our agency.”

“There are currently multiple state government agencies that have programs focused on helping build South Carolina’s workforce, but it can be challenging to understand who provides which services,” continued Ellzey. “This legislation will streamline all workforce programs and create the Office of State Workforce Development, housed in the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce. We are ready for this transition, led by Gov. McMaster and the General Assembly, that will greatly strengthen our workforce, increase labor force participation, and provide upward economic mobility for our students, jobseekers, and working families for years to come.”

“As part of the state’s workforce efforts, our agency has been driving the Labor Force Participation Task Force (LFPTF) and is sharing important research about the state’s labor force participation rate. The LFPTF will be holding three, live briefings through Microsoft Teams available to members of the press, partners, stakeholders, and the general public. Task Force members will present their research and answer questions submitted by attendees. The respective briefings will occur on January 31 at 2:00 PM, February 8 at 11:30 AM, and February 10 at 9:00 AM. To learn more visit dew.sc.gov/lfptfbriefing,” concluded Ellzey.