Daniel Prince
Unemployment rate in Union climbs despite more people working this month
The South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce is out with its December jobless numbers. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the state dropped to 3.5% in December compared to 3.7% in November. Nationally, there was a drop from 4.2% in November to 3.9% in December.
Looking at the non-seasonally adjusted numbers, however, every county saw its unemployment rate increase. Union County’s unemployment rate went up by 0.5% to 5.2% in December, compared to 4.7% in November, tied for the 7th-highest rate in the state with Dillon and Williamsburg counties. Union County saw its labor force increase by 142 in December, to 12,149. 63 more people were working in December than in November, but since the labor force rose faster than the number of those employed, the unemployment rate jumped.
Compared to December 2020, 227 more people are in the labor force now, and 621 more people are working. The unemployment rate in December 2020 stood at 8.6% and is now 5.2%.