Employment and Workforce Executive Director William Floyd’s Statement
February 2025 Employment Situation

Columbia, S.C. – “South Carolina’s workforce continued expanding in February as the number of people employed in the state reached a new record of 2,443,080, and the unemployment rate dropped to 4.2 percent, down from 4.3 percent in the prior month,” said the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) Executive Director William Floyd. “As the state’s population has rapidly grown, it has taken some time to absorb many of the new labor market entrants into our state’s workforce, but February’s numbers indicate that those hirings are happening and that the number of unemployed residents in South Carolina is dropping.”

“The state experienced solid month-over-month employment growth in the Healthcare and Social Assistance industry, increasing by 1,100 between January and February,” continued Floyd.

“In April, DEW will be recognizing Internship Awareness Month. Whether in healthcare or other growing industries in the state such as manufacturing, utilities and infrastructure, technology, or professional services, the short-term work experience offered through an internship is a great way to connect students and jobseekers with real-world experience,” said Floyd.

“There are many ways to connect locally with internships in many different industries. Colleges and universities, technical colleges, industry programs, workforce partners, and the SC Works centers help employers find their workforce, build on-the-job training programs like internships, and transition individuals to opportunities,” said Floyd.

“For students who are starting their last several weeks of school, communities are posting summer work and are ready to hire. Working during the summer break can give young people real-world experience of various careers while helping build their soft skills such as teamwork, digital literacy, and customer service. Many of these jobs can be found at the Youth Employment Site (YES). Employers are also encouraged to visit the site and post their jobs. There are so many ways to learn about South Carolina businesses, whether through part-time work or internships,” concluded Floyd.