September’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped to 9.1 percent from August’s estimated rate of 9.6 percent. Over the month, the number of unemployed people dropped by 10,738 to 194,253.
The September 2012 unemployment rate estimate was 1.1 percentage points lower than the September 2011 rate of 10.2 percent. The estimated number of employed people increased by more than 13,300 to 1,940,026 in September. The labor force climbed by nearly 2,600 people to 2,134,279.
Nationally, the unemployment rate decreased from 8.1 percent in August to 7.8 percent in September. Employment increased 873,000 people. Of those newly employed, an estimated 582,000 went to work in part-time jobs for economic reasons.
South Carolina’s non-seasonally adjusted nonagricultural employment was estimated at 1,862,600, an increase of 6,400 over the month. Since September 2011, the number of jobs in the state was up 30,000 (about 1.6 percent). Nationally, the number of jobs was up approximately 1.4 percent from a year ago.
Employment by Industry
• September was the ninth out of the past 12 months in which the state experienced job growth. During the month, the industry gaining the most jobs was Government (15,500 jobs, 4.7 percent), mostly in the sub-sector of government education services.
• Other industries gaining jobs were Educational and Health Services (3,300 jobs, 1.5 percent) and Manufacturing (400 jobs, 0.2 percent). These gains were mostly due to hiring for the fall school term, an increase in health care and social assistance demand, and an increase in durable goods manufacturing.
• Industries losing jobs during the month included Leisure and Hospitality (-5,800, -2.6 percent); Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (-2,500 jobs, -0.7 percent); Professional and Business Services (-2,100 jobs, -0.9 percent); Construction (-1,900 jobs, -2.48 percent); Financial Activities (-200, -0.2 percent); and Information (-200, -0.7 percent). These industry job losses were due to the end of the summer tourism season, a decline for administrative and support services and a weakening in demand for specialty trade contractors.
