The Official Web Site of the State of South Carolina

DEW and SC Works offices will be closed Thursday, November 28 and Friday, November 29 in observance of Thanksgiving. All offices will reopen on Monday, December 2, and we will be happy to serve you then. Please note that unemployment payments may be delayed depending on your financial institution's holiday schedule.

South Carolina Employment Situation November 2020

Fri, 12/18/2020

South Carolina’s Employment Situation

November 2020

 

I. Household Survey(1)

Employment: The seasonally adjusted, monthly survey of households estimated the number of South Carolinians working decreased significantly to 2,223,349.

  • That is a notable decrease of 63,843 people over October 2020.
  • That is also a significant decrease of 103,472 people over November 2019.

Unemployment: Unemployment estimates increased to 102,186 people.

  • That is an increase of 1,642 people since October 2020 and a notable increase of 45,474 over November 2019.
  • The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 4.4 percent in November from 4.2 percent in October.

Nationally, the unemployment rate declined from 6.9 percent in October to 6.7 percent in November

  • That is a sizeable decrease of 62,201 people over October 2020
  • That is a considerable decrease of 57,998 individuals over November 2019.

Nonagricultural Employment by Industry (Seasonally Adjusted(3))

The Current Employment Survey of businesses in South Carolina marked an increase of 16,300 nonfarm payroll jobs over the month to a level of 2,142,000.

  • Industries reporting gains were Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (+4,600); Leisure and Hospitality (+3,800); Professional and Business Services (+3,800); Education and Health Services (+2,100); Construction (+1,500); Manufacturing (+700); Other Services (+500); and Information (+100).
  • Decreases were noticed in the Government (-600) and Financial Activities (-200) industries.

From November 2019 to November 2020, South Carolina’s economy has lost 65,800 seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs.

  • Other Services (+4,400); Construction (+4,100); Manufacturing (+700); and Financial Activities (+200) industries reported gains over the year.
  • Decreases were reported in Leisure and Hospitality (-42,500); Government (-11,100); Education and Health Services (-10,600); Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (-7,600); Professional and Business Services (-2,400); and Information (-900).

Nonagricultural Employment by Industry (Not Seasonally Adjusted(2))

Not seasonally adjusted, nonfarm payroll employment increased by 23,100 from October 2020 to November 2020 for a total of 2,152,200.

  • Industries reporting growth during this period were Trade, Transportation and Utilities (+10,900); Professional and Business Services (+4,400); Manufacturing (+1,500); Education and Health Services (+1,400); Leisure and Hospitality (+1,100); Government (+1,000); Construction (+1,000); Other Services (+900); Financial Activities (+500); Information (+400). Mining and Logging had no change over the period.
  • No industries reported declines.

Since November 2019, not seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs were down 65,200 overall in South Carolina.

  • Only the Other Services (+4,500); Construction (+4,100); and Financial Activities (+400) industries showed annual gains.
  • Industries recording an over-the-year loss are Leisure and Hospitality (-41,100); Government (-11,200); Education and Health Services (-10,800); Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (-8,000); Professional and Business Services (-2,100); Information (-900); and Mining and Logging (-100). Manufacturing showed no over the year changes.
Key for Note items 1 through 4
Note Explanation
(1) Household Survey (Current Population Survey): is a monthly survey of about 60,000 households conducted by the Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This survey provides monthly statistics on employment, unemployment, and related subjects analyzed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
(2) Current Employment Statistics Survey: is a monthly survey of about 40,000 employers which yields estimates of nonagricultural wage and salary employment, hours, and earnings by industry.
(3) Seasonally Adjusted: Seasonal adjustment removes the effects of events that follow a more or less regular pattern each year (i.e. tourist-related hiring and school closings in the summer). These adjustments make it easier to observe the cyclical and other non seasonal movements in data over time.
(4) Not Seasonally Adjusted: Effects of regular or seasonal patterns have not been removed from these data

 

Nonfarm Employment by Industry, Seasonally Adjusted

Statewide November 2020

        Oct. to Nov. 2020 Oct. to Nov. 2020     Oct. 2020 to Nov. 2020 Nov. 2019 to Nov. 2020    
Area November 2020 October 2020 November 2019 # Change % Change # Change % Change
Total Nonfarm Employment 2,142,000 2,125,700 2,207,800 16,300 0.77% -65,800 -2.98%
Construction 113,100 111,600 109,000 1,500 1.34% 4,100 3.76%
Manufacturing 259,300 258,600 258,600 700 0.27% 700 0.27%
Trade, Transportation, and Utilities 402,000 397,400 409,600 4,600 1.16% -7,600 -1.86%
Information 25,700 25,600 26,600 100 0.39% -900 -3.38%
Finance Activities 105,200 105,400 105,000 200 -0.19% 200 0.19%
Professional and Business Services 300,000 296,200 302,400 3,800 1.28% -2,400 -0.79%
Education and Health Services 248,800 246,700 259,400 2,100 0.85% -10,600 -4.09%
Leisure and Hospitality 235,300 231,500 277,800 3,800 1.64% -42,500 -15.30%
Other Services 84,900 84,400 80,500 500 0.59% 4,400 5.47%
Government 363,400 364,000 374,500 -600 -0.16% -11,100 -2.96%

 

Nonfarm Employment by Industry, Not Seasonally Adjusted

Statewide November 2020

        Oct. to Nov. 2020 Oct. to Nov. 2020  Nov. 2019 to Nov. 2020 Nov. 2019 to Nov. 2020  
Area November 2020 October 2020 November 2019 # Change % Change # Change % Change
Total Nonfarm Employment 2,152,200 2,129,100 2,217,400 23,100 1.08% -65,200 -2.94%
Mining and Logging 4,300 4,300 4,400 0 0.00% -100 -2.27%
Construction 113,100 112,100 109,000 1,000 0.89% 4,100 3.76%
Manufacturing 259,100 257,600 259,100 1,000 0.58% 0 0.00%
Trade, Transportation, and Utilities 408,800 397,900 416,800 10,900 2.74% -8,000 -1.92%
Information 25,700 25,300 26,600 400 1.58% -900 -3.38%
Financial Activities 105,100 104,600 104,700 500 0.48% 400 0.38%
Professional and Business Services 304,000 299,600 306,100 4,400 1.47% -2,100 -0.69%
Education and Health Services 250,500 249,100 261,300 1,400 0.56% -10,800 -4.13%
Leisure and Hospitality 229,100 228,000 270,200 1,100 0.48% -41,100 -15.21%
Other Services 84,300 83,400 79,800 900 1.08% 4,500 5.64%
Government 368,200 367,200 379,400 1,000 0.27% -11,200 -2.95%

 

Nonfarm Employment by Area, Seasonally Adjusted

South Carolina & Metropolitan Seasonally Adjusted

November 2020

        Oct. to Nov. 2020 Oct. to Nov. 2020    Nov. 2019 to Nov. 2020 Nov. 2019 to Nov. 2020   
Area November 2020 October 2020 November 2019 # Change % Change # Change % Change
Statewide 2,142,000 2,125,700 2,207,800 16,300 0.77% -65,800 -2.98%
Charleston/North Charleston MSA 357,300 353,200 376,700 4,100 1.16% -19,400 -5.15%
Columbia MSA 390,900 390,700 407,200 200 0.05% -16,300 -4.00%
Florence MSA 90,800 89,600 92,600 1,200 1.34% -1,800 -1.94%
Greenville/Anderson/Mauldin MSA 428,800 424,000 434,700 4,800 1.13% -5,900 -1.36%
Hilton Head-Bluffton-Beaufort MSA 84,900 83,900 85,700 1,000 1.19% -800 -0.93%
Myrtle Beach MSA 163,600 162,000 177,400 1,600 0.99% -13,800 -7.78%
Spartanburg MSA 153,600 153,700 163,500 -100 -0.07% -9,900 -6.06%
Sumter MSA 37,200 37,800 39,900 -600 -1.59% -2,700 -6.77%

 

Nonfarm Employment by Area, Not Seasonally Adjusted

South Carolina & Metropolitan Not Seasonally Adjusted

November 2020

        Oct. to Nov. 2020     Oct. to Nov. 2020      Nov. 2019 to Nov. 2020 Nov. 2019 to Nov. 2020   
Area November 2020     October 2020 November 2019 # Change % Change # Change % Change
Statewide 2,152,200 2,129,100 2,217,400 23,100 1.08% -65,200 -2.94%
Charleston/North Charleston MSA 359,000 354,600 379,000 4,400 1.24% -20,000 -5.28%
Columbia MSA 395,100 392,400 410,100 2,700 0.69% -15,000 -3.66%
Florence MSA 91,300 89,400 93,200 1,900 2.13% -1,900 -2.04%
Greenville MSA 432,000 426,000 437,700 6,000 1.41% -5,700 -1.30%
Hilton Head-Bluffton-Beaufort MSA 84,200 83,500 85,000 700 0.84% -800 -0.94%
Myrtle Beach MSA/Conway/N. Myrtle Beach MSA 158,900 158,900 173,600 0 0.00% -14,700 -8.47%
Spartanburg MSA 154,700 154,400 164,700 300 0.19% -10,000 -6.07%
Sumter MSA 37,300 37,900 40,100 -600 -1.58% -2,800 -6.98%

Note: Employment estimates have been rounded to the nearest hundred. Sum of detail may not equal totals due to rounding or the exclusion of certain industries from publication. All data are subject to revision.

 

STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA

LOCAL AREA UNEMPLOYMENT ESTIMATES BY COUNTY, MSA, AND STATE

(NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED)

Area Rate Up/Rate Down/Same Labor Force Nov. 2020 Employment Nov. 2020 Unemployment Level Nov. 2020 Unemployment Rate Labor Force Oct. 2020 Employment     Oct. 2020 Unemployment Level Oct. 2020 Unemployment Rate Labor Force Nov. 2019 Employment     Nov. 2019 Unemployment Level     Nov. 2019 Unemployment Rate
Marlboro County Rate Up 9,097 8,451 646 7.1 9,394 8,754 640 6.8 9,185 8,851 334 3.6
Bamberg County Rate Up     4,835 4,501 334 6.9 5,021 4,692 329 6.6 4,933 4,704 229 4.6
Allendale County Rate Down     2,531 2,359 172 6.8 2,669 2,472 197 7.4 2,644 2,527 117 4.4
Orangeburg County Rate Up     34,784 32,475 2,309 6.6 35,971 33,634 2,337 6.5 34,763 33,373 1,390 4.0
Marion County Rate Up     12,700 11,877 823 6.5 13,105 12,297 808 6.2 12,812 12,383 429 3.3
Chester County Rate Down     13,036 12,215 821 6.3 13,526 12,666 860 6.4 13,478 13,019 459 3.4
Union County Rate Down    11,339 10,662 677 6.0 11,776 11,056 720 6.1 11,649 11,326 323 2.8
Fairfield County Rate Up     9,406 8,869 537 5.7 9,735 9,201 534 5.5 9,626 9,281 345 3.6
Barnwell County Rate Up     7,823 7,385 438 5.6 8,112 7,675 437 5.4 8,157 7,876 281 3.4
Lee County Rate Up     6,450 6,087 363 5.6 6,717 6,346 371 5.5 6,632 6,394 238 3.6
Williamsburg County Rate Down 11,802 11,144 658 5.6 12,229 11,538 691 5.7 11,815 11,367 448 3.8
Cherokee County Rate Up 25,085 23,763 1,322 5.3 25,920 24,574 1,346 5.2 25,289 24,654 635 2.5
Horry County Rate Up 136,410 129,231 7,179 5.3 141,520 134,254 7,266 5.1 145,239 141,181 4,058 2.8
Georgetown County Rate Up 25,312 23,997 1,315 5.2 26,202 24,876 1,326 5.1 25,458 24,714 744 2.9
Sumter County Rate Up 41,287 39,228 2,059 5.0 43,640 41,574 2,066 4.7 43,661 42,451 1,210 2.8
Clarendon County Rate Up 12,289 11,688 601 4.9 12,809 12,203 606 4.7 12,641 12,235 406 3.2
McCormick County Rate Up 3,275 3,114 161 4.9 3,371 3,214 157 4.7 3,357 3,274 83 2.5
Colleton County Rate Up 16,550 15,777 773 4.7 17,037 16,259 778 4.6 16,694 16,269 425 2.5
Darlington County Same 30,075 28,669 1,406 4.7 30,885 16,259 1,456 4.7 30,439 29,616 823 2.7
Dillon County Rate Up 12,917 12,304 613 4.7 13,400 12,794 606 4.5 12,969 12,535 434 3.3
Lancaster County Same 39,757 37,906 1,851 4.7 41,151 39,231 1,920 4.7 41,483 40,332 1,151 2.8
Greenwood County Same 30,780 29,362 1,418 4.6 31,779 30,320 1,459 4.6 31,514 30,708 806 2.6
Calhoun County Rate Up 6,421 6,129 292 4.5 6,654 6,360 294 4.4 6,600 6,418 182 2.8
Chesterfield County Rate Up 21,582 20,637 945 4.4 22,295 21,343 952 4.3 21,903 21,401 502 2.3
Richland County Rate Up 196,060 187,455 8,605 4.4 202,738 194,057 8,681 4.3 200,123 195,721 4,402 2.2
Abbeville County Rate Up 9,818 9,399 419 4.3 10,089 9,673 416 4.1 10,104 9,802 302 3.0
Laurens County Rate Down 30,202 28,929 1,273 4.2 31,074 29,736 1,338 4.3 30,280 29,529 751 2.5
Spartanburg County Same 147,681 141,471 6,210 4.2 153,254 146,776 6,478 4.2 153,532 150,364 3,168 2.1
Charleston County Rate Down 204,797 196,464 8,333 4.1 210,735 201,883 8,852 4.2 211,899 208,118 3,781 1.8
Florence County Same 66,314 63,601 2,713 4.1 67,754 65,003 2,751 4.1 66,991 65,446 1,545 2.3
York County Same 135,272 129,782 5,490 4.1 139,847 134,130 5,717 4.1 141,067 137,920 3,147 2.2
Dorchester County Same 75,378 72,439 2,939 3.9 77,578 74,572 3,006 3.9 78,389 76,867 1,522 1.9
Berkeley County Same 100,269 96,423 3,846 3.8 103,180 99,271 3,909 3.8 104,458 102,325 2,133 2.0
Hampton County Rate Up 8,220 7,907 313 3.8 8,558 8,248 310 3.6 8,356 8,180 176 2.1
Kershaw County Rate Up 28,507 27,435 1,072 3.8 29,509 28,454 1,055 3.6 29,398 28,702 696 2.4
Anderson County Rate Up 91,200 87,818 3,382 3.7 93,625 90,243 3,382 3.6 91,561 89,578 1,983 2.2
Jasper County Rate Up 12,583 12,136 447 3.6 12,908 12,456 452 3.5 12,562 12,327 235 1.9
Aiken County Rate Up 71,322 68,835 2,487 3.5 74,313 71,912 2,401 3.2 74,754 73,038 1,716 2.3
Edgefield County Rate Up 10,172 9,812 360 3.5 10,609 10,271 338 3.2 10,671 10,433 238 2.2
Greenville County Same 255,188 246,199 8,989 3.5 262,098 252,940 9,158 3.5 256,029 251,056 4,973 1.9
Newberry County Rate Up 18,397 17,763 634 3.4 19,145 18,522 623 3.3 19,111 18,673 438 2.3
Beaufort County Rate Up 77,206 74,679 2,527 3.3 79,608 77,046 2,562 3.2 77,607 76,027 1,580 2.0
Pickens County Rate Up 57,170 55,273 1,897 3.3 58,577 56,738 1,839 3.1 57,671 56,334 1,337 2.3
Oconee County Rate Up 34,502 33,383 1,119 3.2 35,561 34,477 1,084 3.0 35,230 34,478 752 2.1
Lexington County Rate Up 146,398 141,802 4,596 3.1 151,379 146,855 4,524 3.0 150,943 148,155 2,788 1.8
Saluda County Rate Up 8,490 8,230 260 3.1 8,874 8,635 239 2.7 8,910 8,711 199 2.2
Charleston - North Charleston MSA Same 380,444 365,326 15,118 4.0 391,493 375,726 15,767 4.0 394,746 387,310 7,436 1.9
Columbia MSA Rate Up 395,282 379,920 15,362 3.9 408,889 393,562 15,327 3.7 405,600 396,988 8,612 2.1
Florence MSA Same 96,389 92,270 4,119 4.3 98,639 94,432 4,207 4.3 97,430 95,062 2,368 2.4
Greenville -Anderson-Mauldin MSA Rate Up 433,760 418,219 15,541 3.6 445,374 429,657 15,717 3.5 435,541 426,497 9,044 2.1
SEASONALLY ADJUSTED South Carolina Rate Up 2,325,535 2,223,349 102,186 4.4 2,387,736 2,287,192 100,544 4.2 2,383,533 2,326,821 56,712 2.4

Current month's estimates are preliminary. All data are subject to revision.