State unemployment hits record high in May
South Carolina's unemployment rate climbed to 12.1 percent in May, the highest ever recorded by the state Employment Security Commission.
The latest figures, released Friday morning, show that even though South Carolina employers added 11,800 positions last month, those gains were offset by an increase in the number of people who started to look for jobs. A total of 266,196 residents are now seeking jobs but unable to find them, the agency said.
The national unemployment rate was 9.4 percent last month.
The rate for the Charleston region rose to 9.4 percent in May from 8.7 percent in April.
Statewide, the sectors that added jobs included: leisure and hospitality, with a gain of 7,100 positions, reflecting growing seasonal tourist activity; financial activities (+1,700); retailing (+1,400); and education and health services (+1,100). Also, construction industry added 1,200 jobs for its first increase since July 2008, a welcome trend fueled by higher demand for remodeling and repair jobs.
On the downside, manufacturers continued to shed jobs — dropping another 2,200 in May and bring the loss for the past year to 29,000. Roosevelt T. Halley, the commission's executive director said that "the decline in manufacturing does not bode well for the state's chances of an economic recovery in the short-term."
See Saturday's editions of The Post and Courier for more details.
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Comments
guidedbystewart (anonymous) says...
This is a comment I made on another article but it is also relevant to this one....
Posted by guidedbystewart on June 19, 2009 at 8:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Here is some interesting reading and an opinion I whole heartily agree with...
http://charlestonbusiness.com/news/27546...
June 19, 2009 at 10:53 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Chicago_Thug (anonymous) says...
This dang Obama economy!
Hows that hope and change working for ya?
http://www.postandcourier.com/news/20...
June 19, 2009 at 11:21 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
LCTREE (anonymous) says...
The crisis started before Obama was president duh!! Things don't clear up in a day, it takes time!!
June 19, 2009 at 12:54 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
omarro1974 (anonymous) says...
Come on, LCTREE, you know everything's Obama's fault.....except when it isn't. I can't wait to see all these whiny-ass neo-cons next year. On in 2012 when Obama destroys the last vestiges of the Dixiecrat(republican)party.
June 19, 2009 at 1:41 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
stanish (anonymous) says...
Posted by Chicago_Thug on June 19, 2009 at 11:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This dang Obama economy!
Hows that hope and change working for ya?
How about your illustrious Govenor Mark Sanford(Sanfraud)? He is the Chief Executive of S.C. You don't see any BLAME there? If he was not too BUSY trying to sue the state over stimulus funds and trying to bring industries to S.C. maybe, just maybe we wouldn't be in double-digits UNEMPLOYMENT!
June 19, 2009 at 4:15 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Chicago_Thug (anonymous) says...
SC unemployment rate
2008 May 6.3
2009 May 12.1
http://data.bls.gov/PDQ/servlet/Surve...
National
May 2008 5.5
May 2009 9.4
http://data.bls.gov/PDQ/servlet/Surve...
President Barack Obama said the U.S. unemployment rate will reach 10 percent this year.
Stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama on February 17, 2009.
Is It Obama's Economy Now?
Recent polls show Americans aren't as optimistic about the administration's ability to lead economic recovery.
But there's another reason for the White House's concern, and that is the tentative evidence from recent surveys that people believe Obama now "owns" the economy--making it difficult for him to continue to blame the Bush administration.
http://www.forbes.com/2009/06/14/obam...
How much longer can this administration wimp out and blame Bush? Time for Obama and his rabid supporters to man up and take responsibility for the economy.
Bush didnt cry and whine or blame Clintion for 9-11. Come on Obama, man up.
After all the democrats have had control of both houses of congress since 2007.
Its not just SC;
Jobless rate in Western US tops 10 percent in May, first time since 1983; 8 states set records.
The West region reported the highest jobless rate at 10.1 percent. The last time any region had a rate of at least 10 percent was September 1983, when the country was emerging from a severe recession.
The region is home to California, where the jobless rate jumped to a record 11.5 percent last month, Nevada, where it's a record 11.3 percent, and other states that have been slammed when the housing boom went bust -- snatching jobs and wealth.
The other six states that set new highs on records dating to 1976 were: North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Florida and Georgia.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/8-state...
Can you Obama drones get real? Its time to take ownership. Again, the democrats have controled both houses of congress since 2007.
Sanford as well as Bush can only sign bills into law, they dont create them.
Thanks to democrats like Frank, Dodd and Waters, the housing boom went bust, because of bad home loans banks were forced to make.
June 19, 2009 at 5:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Chicago_Thug (anonymous) says...
Posted by omarro1974 on June 19, 2009 at 1:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Come on, LCTREE, you know everything's Obama's fault'
-----------------------
Please, the left have blamed Bush for everything from the first ice age to stale beer.
June 19, 2009 at 5:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
seneca264 (anonymous) says...
Not to worry, Hussein the usurper promised all the liberal dead-beats a job. I think he said 3 million to be exact. Funny how he has not produced a single job. Hussein is nothing but a moron who would not even be president if it was not for his terrorist friend.
June 19, 2009 at 5:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
stanish (anonymous) says...
Sanford as well as Bush can only sign bills into law, they dont create them.
Again, What has Mark Sanfraud done for the state of S.C. for almost eight years since he held office besides making sure we were ALWAYS in the top three when it came to UNEMPLOYMENT? I'll answer it for you, Mark Sanfraud has done absolutely NOTHING, repeat, NOTHING since elected and re-elected Govenor of S.C. NOW DEFEND THAT RECORD!
June 19, 2009 at 9 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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