Labor Market Information Division Announces Regional Labor Force Analysts

Four new employees are subject matter experts on workforce data for communities statewide.

Columbia, S.C. – The S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW), in an effort to better engage private and public sector stakeholders in communities statewide, has hired four new employees to serve as regional labor force analysts. Each employee is responsible for one of the state’s Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) regions. These personnel are housed in the Labor Market Information (LMI) Division within DEW and tasked with disseminating workforce data and providing analysis to support employers, jobseekers, academic professionals, technical colleges, training providers, local workforce development boards, public officials, the press, and other entities in their assigned regions. A brief biography and contact information for each Regional Labor Force Analyst is available below, along with a map showing which counties are located in each region. We encourage everyone to reach out to the staffers with any data inquiries for their respective regions. The LMI Division will also host virtual introductory meetings with a Regional Labor Force Analyst for any of the aforementioned groups. If you would like to schedule a virtual introduction with one of the below individuals, then please contact lmicustomerservice@dew.sc.gov to schedule your personal meeting.

Upstate Region: Leah Price (lmprice@dew.sc.gov)

Leah Price came to DEW from the Clemson University Youth Learning Institute, where she worked as a health educator. She holds a Master of Public Administration from Clemson and a Bachelor’s of Art in Psychology and Sociology from Winthrop University.

Central Region: Daniel Lyons (dylons@dew.sc.gov)

Daniel Lyons is a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science at the University of South Carolina, with a Bachelor’s of Art and Master of Art in the same field from Northeastern Illinois University. Prior to his academic studies, he worked as a technician, and he has been an instructor at the University of South Carolina (USC).

Pee Dee Region: Ashlyn Chastain (achastain@dew.sc.gov)

Ashlyn Chastain came to DEW from Amentum, a technical services contractor, where she worked with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. She also holds a Master of Public Administration from Clemson and a Bachelor’s of Art in Experimental Psychology from USC.

South Coast Region: Taylor Hendrix (tahendrix@dew.sc.gov)

Taylor Hendrix previously worked for the State Law Enforcement Division for six years where she served most recently as a Lead Intelligence Analyst. She has a Bachelor’s of Art in Psychology and Behavioral Science from Columbia College.

“I am thrilled to introduce South Carolinians to this extremely talented group of workforce professionals,” said Dr. Bryan Grady, LMI Director at the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce. “Whoever you are: If you’re looking for insights about our state’s labor market, then Leah, Daniel, Ashlyn, and Taylor are here to help. They will be out in the field getting to know the people, employers, and leaders in their respective regions.”

“Our agency prides itself in providing labor market information and services to the public, and our Regional Labor Force Analysts are going to make those resources even more accessible, as they will be specifically tailored to a local region and its needs,” stated S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce Executive Director Dan Ellzey. “The labor market is multifaceted and requires background knowledge to truly understand economic trends and findings. As the direct points of contact, these new DEW employees will not only provide region-specific data analysis to anyone, but they will give context and enhance the public’s knowledge of their local labor force.”

In addition to the resources that these new employees will provide, South Carolinians can always connect with the LMI Division and all of the resources they offer by emailing lmicustomerservice@dew.sc.gov or visiting scworkforceinfo.com.

For more information, please email communications@dew.sc.gov with any press inquiries or interview requests for the LMI Division. DEW also has a new agency dashboard that provides easily accessible economic and workforce data.