S.C. Unemployment Drops Below 9 Percent
March unemployment numbers in South Carolina show the rate has dipped below 9.0 percent for the first time in more than three years
Photos
The Palmetto State's unemployment rate dropped to 8.9 percent in March, according to numbers released today.
This marks the first time South Carolina's unemployment rate has dipped below 9.0 percent in more than three years. The rate dropped from 9.1 percent in February, according to S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce data.
“We are pleased with the unemployment rate’s continued decline. Our state hasn’t experienced an unemployment rate less than 9 percent since 2008, and we are excited that this means unemployed South Carolinians are finding jobs.” said SC Department of Employment and Workforce Executive Director Abraham J. Turner in a statement released with the data on the unemployment rate.
“There is still much work to be done in our great state, but today’s drop indicates that businesses in South Carolina along with the Department of Employment and Workforce are keenly focused on putting South Carolinians to work.”
At a press conference held to announce the new jobs numbers at Stier Building Supply in Irmo on Friday S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley echoed Turner's comments.
"I hope everybody does today is celebrate the fact that while 8.9 is not low enough, we are not satisfied yet, it is something to be said that we haven't seen this in three and a half years, and we're moving in the right direction," Haley said. "We are now the one everyone is looking at for how to bring business. Not bring it from one state to the other, but how to bring it from overseas to South Carolina."
"And it's through a simple metrics that we will continue to do," she added. "Keep the cost of doing business low; keep the regulators at bay, make sure that we have a trained workforce, that's why you see us doing the new training with ACT and making sure that the workers are better trained for these jobs that we're bringing in; and continuing to be one of the lowest unionized states in the country."
March also marked the eighth consecutive month the state's unemployment rate has declined. However South Carolina's unemployment rate remains higher than the national rate of 8.2 percent.
According to SCDEW, compared with March 2011, the state has added 32,871 jobs while the number of people unemployed has dropped by 30, 950. The department reports that 17,100 non-farm jobs were created in March 2012, including more than 8,400 leisure and hospitality jobs; 3,800 trade, transportation and utilities jobs; more than 2,600 professional and business services jobs; more than 1,400 government jobs, largely from the local government sector; more than 600 manufacturing jobs; and more than 200 construction jobs.
The state economy also lost 900 education and health services jobs, mostly from the health care and social assistance industries, according to SCDEW.
The department also reports that the number of online job ads in the state increased by approximately 1,600 from February to March to 52,500. The number of job seekers per job opening also decreased from 3.9 job seekers per opening to 3.7 job seekers per opening over the same period.
rick
12:57 pm on Friday, April 20, 2012
that is because their unemployment ran out and can't find work. It's not the right % posted here, we all know that. Gov't just wants you to think it's getting better.
stanley seigler
4:56 pm on Friday, April 20, 2012
@rick: "... It's not the right % posted here, we all know that. Gov't just wants you to think it's getting better.
agree...ie, old saw: lies, damn lies, and stats at work here...that said;
the economy IS getting better (thanks to BO/DEM policies)...repeating ad nauseam...DJI at 6000 in 2008; 2012 at 13000...job decreasing 2008; increasing 2012...
granted not improving fast enough for those without jobs (but great for 1%ers, see DJI)...but cant turn the morass created by a decade of GOP policies around in 3-4 years..which created the 1%, and;
we are in serious danger, if T-GOPs are given the opportunity to return to those thrilling days of 2000-2008...scary to think it might happen.
took FDR much longer to get us out of the 1929 mess created by similar GOP policies...hope it doesn't take a strike three (another depression) for the T-GOPs to get it...their voodoo economic policies DONT work.
show me the money...ie, one GOP success resulting from their policies.
SDR
2:02 pm on Saturday, April 21, 2012
Can you cite a democrat policy that has helped the economy improve? Even the paid professionals cant find one.
stanley seigler
3:23 pm on Saturday, April 21, 2012
@SDR: "...Can you cite a democrat policy that has helped the economy improve..."
to name JUST a couple: the stimulus and tax cuts to small business...now yo turn name a T-GOP policy that has resulted in any thing but the 2008 great recession (and lets not forget the 1929 depression)
to again help you: ike's investment in the intrastate hiway system...now their policies are tax cuts for the 1%...paid for by investment in USA cuts (eg, educartion, infrastructure, safety nets for the least)
"The economy was in free fall when the president took office, and by almost any measure...from gross domestic product and industrial production to corporate earnings...it is doing much better now."
http://www.npr.org/2012/04/17/150732473/did-obamas-policies-help-or-hinder-the-
BO and FDR got (are getting) the country out of the ditch, T-GOP policies drove us into...its painfully obvious..."plain as the nose on yo face"...T-GOP policies got us into a ditch...BO/DEM policies are getting us out...evidently T-GOPs dont have a plain nose on their face...
the T-GOPs kabuki dance spin (aka lying)...eg, the mitter (another brother from another mother): say the economy has gotten worse under BO...tho not as quickly as we would like, obviously NOT true...
OK so BO/DEMs lie too...but the facts are the economy is doing better (2012 v. 2008) and, in general, has done better under DEMs vice GOPs.
oh/and, thanks for the straight line: "Can you cite...etc"
Tonto
9:49 am on Monday, April 23, 2012
The economy went into FREE FALL because the communist took office is the reality. Any improvment now reflects business thinking he will kicked kicked out of the Country in November. Yes, DEPORT the illegal.
stanley seigler
10:10 am on Monday, April 23, 2012
@tonto: " ...Yes, DEPORT the illegal."
and deport all DEMs to russia. all blacks to africa. all illegals to where ever...and pigs will fly...oh tonto what are we gonna do with you...well anyway, bless yo heart, child...
JoSCh
11:16 am on Monday, April 23, 2012
Tonto, that the people you represent widely believe the current president an illegal and a communist is all the proof needed to discount their entire worldview.
I'm still not convinced that you aren't a troll. It's pretty easy to pose as a hard core modern Republican today, simply look at a fact and advocate for it's opposite using as much hyperbole as possible. Done, you could have a syndicated radio show.
David Parker
6:23 pm on Friday, April 20, 2012
She picked a wonderful sc family owned company to hold her press conference
John H
3:00 pm on Saturday, April 21, 2012
The Bureau of labor and Statistics uses a survey methodology to measure The Jobless Rate, confusingly also known as the unemployment rate and only somewhat connected to those who seek Unemployment Benefits. The Individual States numbers are processed as a part of that monthly statistical analysis. It is not calculated solely from the number of people who file claims from one month to the next. People who fill out the survey and say they have no job regardless of if they are receiving unemployment benefits are counted as “jobless”.
http://www.bls.gov/cps/cps_htgm.htm
There are other statistics from BLS including the population – unemployment ratio.
http://data.bls.gov/pdq/SurveyOutputServlet
Analyzing the table one can conclude that since 1960, the major drops and subsequent improvements occurred over both Democratic and Republican administrations. The dips that occurred in the early 60’s , early seventies, ‘75/76, and ‘81/82. The loss during the early part of 2009 has remained flat. The overall shape of the graph mirrors historical US economic performance and bears a resemblance to a series of “bubbles”, the most recent of which burst in a catastrophic way back to 1984 levels. You'd have to go all the way back to the early 60's to see a bottom this long in duration.
John H
3:02 pm on Saturday, April 21, 2012
The wild up and down swings do indicate that some leveling controls need to be in place.
I would of course concede that the current Chief Executive is not culpable in instigating the current employment situation. It was already in decline during the previous administration. I would put forth that the percentage of employed is the result of the ebb and flow of the tide of the US economy, somewhat affected by the policies of whatever party is in charge at the time. It seems that when job creation becomes important, the headway made is more due to the will of those Americans who want to do better than by the policies of whatever party is in charge at the time.
Noteworthy; since the bottom was reached at the end of 2009 there has been little improvement. Not since the early 60’s has it been at the bottom this long. The good news is that we survived Johnson’s Great Society (joking) and prospered to unprecedented levels over time.
stanley seigler
3:58 pm on Saturday, April 21, 2012
@John H: "The overall shape of the graph mirrors historical US economic performance and bears a resemblance to a series of “bubbles”, the most recent of which burst in a catastrophic way back to 1984 levels. You'd have to go all the way back to the early 60's to see a bottom this long in duration."
thanks for the quick economic study...i agree and go a step further...GOP/DEM policies are not as responsible for the economy as "true believers" BELIEVE...the economy has a life of its own (eg, the tech and housing bubbles)...that said:
a broad brush look shows (in my opine) the economy has done better under DEMs...perhaps just luck...eg, as said too often: 2008 DJI 6000, 2012 DJI 13000...2008 losing jobs; 2012 gaining jobs...
and longer term: in the 20th century, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 7.3% under GOPs and 10.3 under DEMs...which amounts to 41% increase in net worth to investors. (2003 LATimes)
again we have lies, damn lies and stats...but the DEMs are better for po folks and the least...GOPs better for rich folks and yuppies...eg,
the DEM were resp for social security, medicare, civil rights, BOcare, the great society...all opposed by GOPs...now the GOPs want to deny healthcare to 30-40 million po/middle class folks...and give tax breaks to the 1%
John H
10:25 pm on Saturday, April 21, 2012
To Stanley;
Wall Street bounced back quickly while Market Street is struggling. Maybe the reason is that executive compensation is tied to the market performance of their stock options. Therefore the motivation when revenue decreases is to cut expenses (layoffs) quickly to return to profitability. I really don’t think Obama or any President for that matter can affect that.
Since it has been requested, some Republican accomplishments for the greater good; The Americans with Disabilities Act, the Bush tax cuts, The Equal Rights Amendment, (Although not ratified by the States), Establishment of the EPA and OSHA, Clean Air Clean Water Acts, Strategic Arms Limitation (SALT), The end of the Draft and the Vietnam War. All except the first two were the accomplishments of that Republican President we all love to hate, Tricky Dick Nixon. Only Nixon could go to China.
stanley seigler
3:34 am on Sunday, April 22, 2012
@John H: "...some Republican accomplishments for the greater good..."
house/senate controlled by DEMs during geo hw and tricky dick's administration...it was a different GOP then...doubt if RR would get past a GOP primary today...
GOPs controlled the congress for 6 of the W years...the results: the great 2008 recession...
another fact: 8 years of GOP/W policies accelerated the wealth distribution (1% v 99%) begun under begun under GOP/RR...
re: "...Wall Street bounced back quickly while Market Street is struggling. Maybe..."
a lot of maybe's...the facts are DJI 6000 in 2008...13000 in 2012...and it take time to turn the ship OF state around after 8 years of GOP failed policies...the facts are losing jobs in 2008...gaining jobs in 2012.
re: "I really don’t think Obama or any President for that matter can affect that [stock market]..."
another maybe (tend to agree)...fact: trickle down has NOT worked...when has the market (economy) improved under GOP policies...W tax cuts didn't work...
John H
6:28 pm on Sunday, April 22, 2012
To Stanley;
Since stock options are a big component of exec compensation, and the market does better under the Dems, then the dems inadvertently currently helping to create the 1%.
Trickle down, Reganomics, voodo economics, actually jolts a flat economy to improvement but only in the short term. Then the bubble bursts. That's the problem. Steady growth is more desireable.
I've read where some pundits claim RR wouldnt get nominated. I disagree. Thats alot of what ifs. He didnt secure the nomination until his second attempt. His ultra conservative politics would play well to todays Repub faithfull. Who knows.
If unemployment continues to improve I dont think even RR could unseat Obama.
stanley seigler
10:21 pm on Sunday, April 22, 2012
@John H: "...the dems inadvertently currently helping to create the 1%..."
agree...tho not sure it's inadvertently, neither sure just CEO stock options only a contributor...and ironic WS/business favors the GOPs...it's a myth the economy does better under GOPs.
the DEMs realize the divide/gap is not good for our country...seems the GOPs fail to see this...ie,
...let W cuts expire v. extent them...in any event we need to stop justifying party and focus on policies for the common good...the make BO a one termer did much harm and contributed to the slower recovery than was/is possible...this GOP JOB #1 completely escapes me.
re: voodoo economics, actually jolts a flat economy to improvement but only in the short term.
dont think it would have worked in 2008...needed more investment (spending) than the stimulus, certainly not tax cuts...
re: "...pundits claim RR wouldn't get nominated. I disagree.
areee: he probably would...unless t-blossom was running his opponent's campaign:)...might even win the general...RR was smarter than i thought...but;
... believe he " inadvertently" paved the road to the 1%:99% divide...as a bleeding heart friend say, there must have been two reagans...the president and the one they made an icon.
Tonto
10:05 am on Sunday, April 22, 2012
Why trickle down when you can flood down? - http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/04/20/richer-democratic-states-with-lower-unemployment-got-bulk-of-obama-stimulus
John H
9:26 pm on Sunday, April 22, 2012
To Tonto;
When the government gives away money it just gets absorbed then dissolved. Bush gave away plenty also. Many people got a tax rebate check in 2008, totaling 168 billion. This and the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts can be viewed as a stimulus of sorts. I think Bush and his advisors new that trouble was on the horizon.
http://useconomy.about.com/od/usfederaltaxesandtax/tp/President-George-Bush-Income-Tax-Cuts.htm
stanley seigler
11:38 am on Sunday, April 22, 2012
@Tonto: Why trickle down when you can flood down?
not sure the point of your sarcasm...but trickle down more acceptable for the general welfare (common good)...than flood up created by T-GOP policies, as indicated by the 1% to 99% wealth distribution...
The gap between the top 1% and everyone else hasn't been this bad since the Roaring Twenties...prior to 1929.
yo irrelevant link say:
"Stimulus money went to precisely the states that needed it the least but were more politically connected to the Democratic Party."
the link does not address T-GOP voodoo trickle economic policies vs DEM general welfare investment policies...and the source (norquist) is suspect, but assume it's true...do you think the following, in addition to partisan politics, may have been partly the reason:
"Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina has just announced that he will reject about $700 million in federal stimulus money for his state..."
thanks for the straight line, ie, opportunity to present my version of the facts.
John H
11:50 pm on Sunday, April 22, 2012
We have determined that both Dems and Repubs tried economic stimuli; Bush’s tax cuts didn’t stop the decline. The effectiveness of Obama's economic recovery is still being studied and job growth is slow. The way I see it, the slow recovery is the result of the lack of dialogue between factions within the government to create a comprehensive recuperation. The Repubs bear the brunt of the blame. They hardened their position immediately, too arrogant to compromise, and willing to let improvement wait until they regain control. At the present situation, recovery may pass them by. If it does, the party will have to reinvent itself or perish.
stanley seigler
1:49 am on Monday, April 23, 2012
@John H: "...The way I see it..."
the way i see it...as mentioned...the slow(er) recovery is the result the GOP's JOB#1 making BO a one "termer" vice jobs...and W tax cuts started the decline...well actually accelerated the decline (1:99 wealth distribution) started by RR...W/BO's stimulus started the recovery.
appreciate yo opines...but only history will know for sure...and i will not be here to say...i told you...but for our country's sake hope we do not return to 1929/2008 voodoo trickle policies...
best
John H
6:12 am on Monday, April 23, 2012
To Stanley;
The frustrating thing about this recovery is that the GOP is just sitting back saying "We wouldnt do it that way", critisizing eveything done.
Supply side , trickle down has shown to be volitile. Need a Kensian mechanism create steady growth.
Appreciate you opinion also. Hope your around a long long time,