S.C. veterans’ unemployment rate drops in 2017

South Carolina’s annual unemployment rate from veterans declined to 3.9 percent in 2017 from 5 percent in 2016.

There were 182,000 veterans employed in 2017 and 7,000 unemployed. Of the 417,000 veterans living in South Carolina in 2017, 189,000 participated in the labor market, or 45.4 percent of all veterans in the state.

“The men and women who serve our country in uniform are among the best of us and I am proud of the work that the Department of Employment and Workforce is doing to help connect them with potential employers. South Carolina has a strong history of supporting our veterans, and we won’t stop working to do everything we can to show them our gratitude for their service to our country,” Gov. Henry McMaster said.

“I am proud of the work that our veteran representatives are doing to help those who have served our country find honorable work across the state. They work closely with veterans to find the right fit and with businesses to determine their workforce needs and inform them about the advantages of hiring veterans,” said Cheryl Stanton, executive director of the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce.

Nationally, the veteran unemployment rate fell to 3.7 percent in 2017 from 4.3 percent. And South Carolina’s annual unemployment rate for 2017 was 4.4 percent.

DEW has made finding jobs for veterans a top priority. The agency has refined how it delivers employment services to veterans including:

Local veterans’ employment representatives in SC Works centers throughout the state continue to engage with the business community to cultivate relationships with employers and market veterans as great hires.

DEW staff serves veterans one-on-one.

DEW focused on identifying and assisting individuals with barriers to employment. This includes helping veterans transition from a military way of communicating and coaching them on how to word resumes and answer interview questions to display their skills accurately to civilian hiring managers.

The agency also has partnered with the S.C. National Guard and launched Operation Palmetto Employment to streamline and increase the efficiency of the employment process for South Carolina’s military community.

About DEW

The S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) is putting South Carolinians to work. The agency invests in building a pipeline of quality workers, matches workers with jobs, and is a bridge for individuals who find themselves out of work for no fault of their own. This promotes financial stability and economic prosperity for employers, individuals and communities. DEW is dedicated to advancing South Carolina through services that meet the needs of the state’s businesses, jobseekers and those looking to advance their careers.