SC!JOBS=LAUS(45)
South Carolina: jobs and unemployment
Unemployment, employment and the labor force in South Carolina from the Local Area Unemployment Statistics program of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
BLS LAUSLatest month: September 2026
Unemployment, September 20264.0%#29 of 51 · #1 = lowest
Annual average, 20254.5%US 4.3%, weighted by labor force
Labor force, 20252.61M+1.8% on a year earlier
Employed, 20252.49M116,290 unemployed
Labor forceEmployed
| Year | Unemployment rate | Labor force | Employed | Unemployed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4.5% | 2,608,887 | 2,492,597 | 116,290 | |
| 2024 | 4.1% | 2,562,615 | 2,457,287 | 105,328 | |
| 2023 | 3.0% | 2,495,157 | 2,420,636 | 74,521 | |
| 2022 | 3.2% | 2,422,347 | 2,344,834 | 77,513 | |
| 2021 | 3.9% | 2,372,318 | 2,279,261 | 93,057 | |
| 2020 | 6.0% | 2,341,703 | 2,201,090 | 140,613 | |
| 2019 | 2.8% | 2,328,087 | 2,263,682 | 64,405 | |
| 2018 | 3.4% | 2,283,363 | 2,206,821 | 76,542 | |
| 2017 | 4.2% | 2,262,949 | 2,168,104 | 94,845 | |
| 2016 | 4.9% | 2,255,783 | 2,145,584 | 110,199 | |
| 2015 | 5.9% | 2,241,067 | 2,108,786 | 132,281 | |
| 2014 | 6.3% | 2,201,844 | 2,063,369 | 138,475 | |
| 2013 | 7.4% | 2,181,555 | 2,019,093 | 162,462 | |
| 2012 | 9.0% | 2,176,794 | 1,980,647 | 196,147 | |
| 2011 | 10.3% | 2,173,678 | 1,948,705 | 224,973 | |
| 2010 | 11.1% | 2,170,408 | 1,929,604 | 240,804 | |
| 2009 | 11.0% | 2,176,789 | 1,937,493 | 239,296 | |
| 2008 | 6.9% | 2,175,274 | 2,025,641 | 149,633 | |
| 2007 | 5.6% | 2,167,128 | 2,045,344 | 121,784 | |
| 2006 | 6.3% | 2,153,884 | 2,017,604 | 136,280 | |
| 2005 | 6.8% | 2,073,749 | 1,932,855 | 140,894 | |
| 2004 | 6.9% | 2,043,898 | 1,902,144 | 141,754 | |
| 2003 | 6.7% | 1,996,734 | 1,862,178 | 134,556 | |
| 2002 | 6.1% | 1,952,296 | 1,833,649 | 118,647 | |
| 2001 | 5.2% | 1,943,755 | 1,843,373 | 100,382 | |
| 2000 | 3.7% | 1,966,970 | 1,894,367 | 72,603 | |
| 1999 | 4.2% | 1,957,132 | 1,875,672 | 81,460 | |
| 1998 | 3.6% | 1,939,577 | 1,869,206 | 70,371 | |
| 1997 | 4.5% | 1,919,215 | 1,833,161 | 86,054 | |
| 1996 | 5.7% | 1,884,580 | 1,777,622 | 106,958 | |
| 1995 | 5.1% | 1,864,109 | 1,768,423 | 95,686 | |
| 1994 | 6.2% | 1,840,083 | 1,726,501 | 113,582 | |
| 1993 | 7.3% | 1,825,100 | 1,691,707 | 133,393 | |
| 1992 | 6.7% | 1,796,665 | 1,675,819 | 120,846 | |
| 1991 | 6.1% | 1,762,572 | 1,654,432 | 108,140 | |
| 1990 | 4.9% | 1,732,623 | 1,647,991 | 84,632 | |
| 1989 | 4.6% | 1,698,019 | 1,619,583 | 78,436 | |
| 1988 | 4.6% | 1,664,039 | 1,587,665 | 76,374 | |
| 1987 | 5.5% | 1,633,928 | 1,544,366 | 89,562 | |
| 1986 | 6.4% | 1,592,444 | 1,491,149 | 101,295 | |
| 1985 | 6.8% | 1,548,432 | 1,442,703 | 105,729 | |
| 1984 | 7.0% | 1,495,372 | 1,391,236 | 104,136 | |
| 1983 | 9.9% | 1,478,129 | 1,332,493 | 145,636 | |
| 1982 | 10.8% | 1,481,395 | 1,321,621 | 159,774 | |
| 1981 | 8.2% | 1,431,228 | 1,314,047 | 117,181 | |
| 1980 | 6.7% | 1,394,098 | 1,300,398 | 93,700 | |
| 1979 | 5.0% | 1,374,740 | 1,306,553 | 68,187 | |
| 1978 | 5.6% | 1,357,715 | 1,282,095 | 75,620 | |
| 1977 | 6.8% | 1,326,585 | 1,236,934 | 89,651 | |
| 1976 | 7.0% | 1,298,668 | 1,207,409 | 91,259 |
BLS LAUS: monthly rates are seasonally adjusted; annual averages are not seasonally adjusted.