SC jobless rate eclipses 12 percent

South Carolina's jobless rate climbed nearly half a point in October to a record-tying 12.1 percent, as the number of out-of-work residents rose by more than 9,700, the state Employment Security Commission said today.

The revised figure for September was 11.7 percent.

The commission said the jobless rate for October is likely to go higher once the figures are updated based on newer data culled from payroll records.

"If national trends are followed, most states will likely show greater jobs losses than are currently being reported in the preliminary estimates," the agency said today.

The updated numbers for the state will be released early in 2010.

According to current data, gains in several sectors — including professional and business services (+4,600), government (+3,500) and retail trade (+2,300) — were partly offset last month by declines in leisure and hospitality (-5,600), manufacturing (-1,600) and construction (-1,300).

The number of unemployed in the greater Charleston area rose last month to nearly 21,000 people, or 10 percent, up from 9.6 percent in September.

The state's overall job count was 60,500 below the year-ago level and nearly 95,000 below the December 2007 level, when the current recession began.

"Going forward, our state faces significant challenges as it tries to replace the large number of jobs lost due to the recession that began in December of 2007," said Sam Foster, interim executive director of the commission.

The statewide rate peaked at 12.1 percent in June.

The jobless figures do not include unemployed residents who have stopped looking for work.

For more details, see Saturday's editions of The Post and Courier.