COLUMBIA -
Beaufort and Jasper counties nearly matched the national unemployment rate in the last month, as usual faring much better than South Carolina as a whole. Nationally, the unemployment rate dipped from 5.5 to 5.4 percent, while South Carolina’s rate stayed at 6.7 percent from March to April. Beaufort County rose from 5.6 to 5.8 percent and Jasper County dropped from 5.4 to 5.3 percent.
The state unemployment agency head, however, said the number of people working in South Carolina surpassed 2.1 million for the first time.
“The positive economy in South Carolina is drawing more and more people into the workforce as evidenced by this month’s record breaking number of citizens who are employed,” said Cheryl Stanton, executive director of the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce.
“In the last month, nearly 10,000 South Carolinians entered the labor force showing that our state is optimistic about job opportunities.”
The agency estimated the people working and searching for work, known as the labor force, numbered 2,256,118, an increase of nearly 9,900 over the month, marking a separate record. But federal data confirm that it’s harder, in some ways, for Jasper County residents to make a living. In Jasper County, nearly 3,800 workers commuted to Beaufort County, while 1,040 commuted to Chatham County.
Only 21 percent live and work in Jasper County, according to U.S. Census data. In contrast, Beaufort County residents who commuted to Jasper County numbered only 1,750, while the second-largest commuter group, totaling 1,600, commuted to Chatham County. The percentage that lives and works in Beaufort County is about 31 percent, 10 points higher than in Jasper County.
As for what skills are in demand, the two counties also diverged. Registered nurses occupied the top spot for the number of occupational openings in Jasper County and ranked third in Beaufort County, where only retail supervisors and retail sales clerks ranked higher. In Jasper County, the position of “heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers” came in second behind registered nurses on the list of top occupational job openings.
The rankings, which are from April, come from the state workforce agency and The Conference Board Help Wanted OnLine(tm) data series.
Across South Carolina, 4,500 jobs were added in professional and business services last month. Nearly 2,800 jobs were created in trade, transportation, and utilities, 2,100 were added in educational and health services, and 1,000 jobs opened up in construction, while jobs in leisure and hospitality, and in government tallies less than 1,000. Losses were documented in manufacturing, which cut 300 jobs and information, which lost 100.