Daniel Prince
Union County's rate drops to 5% as more are working now than in September
The SC Department of Employment and Workforce recently released the October employment figures. More people are working and fewer are unemployed in October than in September across the state. The state’s labor force shrank slightly. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped from 4.1% to 3.9% in October. The national rate decreased from 4.8% to 4.6%.
For Union County, the unemployment rate dropped from 5.4% to 5%. That is still the 7th-highest unemployment rate in the state, and highest in the Upstate. The labor force, comprised of those working and those looking for work, increased by 28 from September to October. 76 more people are working in October than in September. 606 people are listed as unemployed, down from 654 in September.
Compared to last October, there are 126 fewer people in the labor force now than in last October. 163 more people are working now than last year, and 289 fewer people are listed as unemployed. The unemployment rate in October 2020 was 7.3%, 2.3% higher than it is this year.