Employment and Workforce Executive Director William Floyd’s Statement

May 2025 Employment Situation

Columbia, S.C. – “South Carolina enters the summer tourism season with another strong jobs report for the month of May,” said the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) Executive Director William Floyd. “Unemployment ticked down by a tenth of one percent to 4.1% and businesses added 5,400 jobs month-over-month. The number of unemployed South Carolinians dropped by more than 750 individuals while the labor force increased by nearly 4,400.”

“Job gains this month were widespread with nearly all sectors showing year-over-year growth,” continued Floyd. “Payroll growth was strongest in the state in the Charleston and Myrtle Beach metro areas at 3.6% and 4.1%, respectively.”

“Healthcare is one of the largest and fastest growing industries in our state with many job opportunities for individuals at all levels of education from certificates to doctorates. There are many ways to enter the field and several prospects for growth and career pathways,” said Floyd. “With the state’s growing population, this is an industry that will continue to have a high demand for workers in the coming years.”

“During the month of May, our agency, SC Works, and other partners highlighted the healthcare workforce industry and its wide variety of occupations and opportunities. There are programs and efforts at the local level and statewide to support recruitment efforts to track jobseekers into these high-demand fields,” stated Floyd. 

“There are lots of resources for healthcare and other South Carolina industries on FindYourFuture.sc.gov. This platform is a great resource to find information about careers, discover programs created to help people get started in occupations, educational paths, certifications, and job opportunities around the state,” concluded Floyd.