December 2024

Released January 28, 2025

Download the full PDF for South Carolina

Download the summary PDF for South Carolina

United States Employment Snapshot

• In December, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia unemployment fell in 7, rose in 25, and remained unchanged in 19.

• The highest unemployment rate was 5.7 percent in Nevada, and the lowest was 1.9 percent in South Dakota. Nationally, the unemployment rate fell by 0.1 percentage point to 4.1 percent.

• In December, payroll jobs rose in 43 states and fell in 7. The largest payroll job percent increase was 0.4 percent in Missouri. The largest payroll job percent decline was 0.2 percent in Vermont.

South Carolina Employment Snapshot

• In December, South Carolina added 4,500 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate fell by 0.1 percentage point to 4.7 percent. In the prior month, South Carolina added 4,800 net payroll jobs.

• Over the past 12 months, South Carolina added 64,400 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate rose by 1.7 percentage points from 3 percent.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 256,000 in December, or 0.2 percent. South Carolina is tied for 2nd in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• In December, South Carolina’s private sector added 4,600 net private payroll jobs, and over the past 12 months it added 52,800 private payroll jobs. In the prior month, South Carolina added 3,900 net private payroll jobs.

• In December, employment in South Carolina rose by 4,580, and over the past 12 months it rose by 21,742.

• South Carolina’s labor force participation rate fell to 57.5 percent in December from 57.6 percent and ranks 49th in the nation. In the past 12 months, the labor force participation rate has risen by 0.3 percentage points.

---

South Carolina Payroll Employment

• South Carolina added 4,500 net payroll jobs, or 0.2 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during December. In the prior month, South Carolina added 4,800 jobs. South Carolina nonfarm payroll employment has increased in 11 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 256,000 in December, or 0.2 percent. South Carolina is tied for 2nd in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• South Carolina added 4,600 private sector jobs, or 0.2 percent. on a seasonally adjusted basis during December. In the prior month, South Carolina added 3,900 jobs. South Carolina private sector payroll employment has increased in 11 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, private sector payroll jobs rose by 223,000 jobs in December, or 0.2 percent. South Carolina ranks 3rd in the nation for percentage gain in private sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• The best performing sectors on a seasonally adjusted basis during December were Professional and Business Services (1,600) and Education and Health Services (1,000).

• The poorest performing sectors during the month were Leisure and Hospitality (-100) and Manufacturing (-300).

• The best performing sectors during the last 12 months were Education and Health Services (16,100) and Professional and Business Services (13,600).

• The poorest performing sectors during the last 12 months were Mining and Logging (300) and Other Services (-600).

South Carolina Labor Force

The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the civilian noninstitutionalized population age 16 and older who are employed or actively looking for work.

• The labor force participation rate in South Carolina fell to 57.5 percent in December from 57.6 percent in the prior month.

• South Carolina ranks 49th in the nation.

• The 10-year high for the labor force participation rate in South Carolina was 59.5 percent occurring in May 2015, and the 10-year low was 57 percent occurring in November 2022.

• The national labor force participation rate remained steady at 62.5 percent in December.