Haley elated, job seeker unmoved by latest jobless rate report

COLUMBIA -- Gov. Nikki Haley proclaimed Tuesday that the slight drop in the state's unemployment rate for the third consecutive month is a sign of good things to come, but on the other side of 19 months without a paycheck, Glenn Hair of Daniel Island is just not feeling it.

Hair, who was laid off from a car dealership, said despite the fact that the unemployment rate has dropped a percentage point since December -- now at 9.9 percent -- he is not getting calls back, "not even a nibble," not even any rejection letters.

"It's next to impossible to find new work," the 52-year-old accountant said. "I keep hearing, 'It's getting better. It's getting better,' but I am not seeing it."

South Carolina's unemployment rate is the lowest it has been in two years, having hit an all-time high of 11.8 percent in 2009. That was first recorded as 12.6 percent and later revised to factor in seasonal swings in hiring.

The rate in the Charleston area is 8 percent, down from 8.4 percent in February.

Overall the state added 15,700 jobs in March, including 10,000 jobs in leisure and hospitality and 3,900 in retail trade. The figures have not yet beenadjusted to reflect seasonal hiring.

College of Charleston economist Frank Hefner said the unemployment rate does not tell the whole story. The recovery in the past year has been slow, he said, and fewer people are in the workforce, such as those individuals who are discouraged and no longer looking for work.

Still, Haley said the gains did not happen by accident. She said the drop in the rate is a combination of the state's business environment as well as her recruitment efforts and those of former Gov. Mark Sanford's administration. Haley did not give President Barack Obama any credit.

"This is because of the fact that I'm working myself to pieces," Haley said. "We're doing everything we can to get jobs in this state. ... And while everybody else wants to attribute it to something else, I will tell you, the states that do the best are going to be ones that have the most aggressive governors, that have the best business environment" and the states that recognize the value of small businesses.

Larry Sabato, a nationally regarded political analyst and executive director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, said Haley may have had some economic victories as her first 100 days in office conclude on Thursday, but the recovery in South Carolina and elsewhere is because of the national economic cycle.

"The deal for public officials is simple: In good times, you get to take the credit, even though you don't deserve it. In bad times, you get to take the blame, even though you don't deserve it," Sabato said. "They understand the deal."

Sen. John Matthews, D- Bowman, said the key to South Carolina's future prosperity is not how many tax breaks the state gives but the investment it makes in the people who live in the state.

He wants lawmakers and the governor to make college more affordable, especially for minority students and by investing in needs-based scholarships.

"In my opinion, the state is kind of upside down in its long-term investment strategy," Matthews said. "You have got to empower people to compete."

All 46 counties in the state reported decreases in their unemployment levels in March.

Marion County posted the highest jobless rate at 18.9 percent, while Lexington County reported the lowest unemployment level of 7.2 percent.

Warren Wise contributed to this report. Reach Yvonne Wenger at 803-926-7855 or follow her at @yvonnewenger.