Employment and Workforce Executive Director William Floyd’s Statement

April 2026 Employment Situation

Columbia, S.C. – "South Carolina had another record-breaking achievement in April 2026 with the number of residents employed growing to 2,539,583, the largest employment number in our state’s recorded history, and a significant increase of 56,209 individuals working compared to this time last year. For perspective, that year-to-year increase in our workforce is larger than the total number of residents in the city of Florence,” said South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) Executive Director William Floyd. 

“The labor force grew to 2,667,596 individuals, which includes those actively working and those searching for work. Viewed by economic sectors, the majority of industries experienced very positive payroll growth, such as Construction, Manufacturing, Finance and Insurance, and Administrative and Support and Waste Management,” continued Floyd. 

“According to the April data, South Carolina’s unemployment rate dropped to 4.8%, the overall labor force participation rate rose to 59%, and payroll jobs increased, month-over-month, by 5,000, reconfirming the growth and importance of our state’s workforce," stated Floyd. 

“Also in April, DEW launched its Spring into Employment initiative, sharing dozens of success stories on social media from participants in our employment programs offered at SC Works centers statewide, many of these testimonials coming from companies. Employers have a lot to celebrate with our competitive talent pipeline growing, and we encourage all businesses to reach out to their nearest SC Works to let our staff match you with the right candidates, create personalized recruitment and training plans, find tax credits and other funding sources, promote your positions via hiring events and job fairs, and list your jobs in the SC Works Online System,” said Floyd.

“Employers can also celebrate their employees by submitting a photo of them on the job in our agency’s 2026 SC@Work Photo Contest, recognizing the Palmetto State’s wide-ranging careers and exceptional workforce. The winner will be invited to attend the upcoming Workforce Champion Award Ceremony. Our agency’s 2026 Workforce Champion Award, currently in its fourth year, is now a competition for the first time ever. Employers who provide career exploration or employment opportunities to students are eligible to apply, and the winning business will be honored by Governor McMaster and DEW with a ceremony at the Governor’s Mansion on September 1, 2026. Businesses can submit an entry for the SC@Work Photo Contest here and nominate themselves for the Workforce Champion Award here. Both competitions close on Sunday, June 14, so make sure to apply and show your pride in your business, especially the people and programs that keep it running,” concluded Floyd.