South Carolina's persistently high unemployment rate has fallen for the sixth month in a row, according to January labor statistics released Tuesday.
At 9.3 percent, the unemployment rate was at its lowest level since November 2008, but it is still significantly higher than the 8.3 percent national unemployment rate, and statistics show that many job sectors shed jobs from December to January.
The .3 percentage point decrease from December was due mainly to the result of an estimated 7,900 people leaving the labor force, according to the Department of Employment an Workforce.
Every job sector, sans manufacturing and natural resources and mining, lost jobs in January.
December-to-January employment figures typically reflect jobs lost following the holiday season. So while there were routine job loss numbers in January, the decline in unemployment, despite that, was seen as a positive trend.
“The continued decline in the unemployment rate is something for South Carolinians to be excited about, and we know from the SC Works system that the jobs are out there,” said Department of Employment and Workforce Executive Director Abraham J. Turner.
On Facebook, Gov. Nikki Haley praised the news. She is traveling the state today promoting her efforts to reduce taxes for job creators. She speaks at 3:30 p.m. in North Charleston at Banks Construction Company.
"Nothing motivates us more than to continue to fight for tax relief and a competitive business environment like seeing this number drop," Haley said. "We are going to keep fighting for tax relief that creates jobs so that everyone that wants a job has a job."
Ken
11:25 am on Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Now, tell us the real story. How many of those who are no longer listed as unemployed actually found jobs and how many were just simply dropped from the roles because their benefits expired?
SDR
1:38 pm on Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Das Pravda
Mimi
1:48 pm on Tuesday, March 13, 2012
When you are only relying on the people that are still able to collect unemployment for your jobs report it doesn't really tell the truth now does it. Nothing surprises me coming out of the state the is consumed with Republican fraud, lies, corruption. NOTHING noone can even rely on the information they are posting because it is not supported by any facts whatsoever just a number pulled out of the air to keep the uninformed clueless.
Ron
3:02 pm on Tuesday, March 13, 2012
President Obama deserves all the credit. The republican party is a job killer.
John Smith
11:13 am on Wednesday, March 14, 2012
The reason for it going down is the Republicans that took over in 2010 election who passed the bills to get this economy going in the right direction.
stanley seigler
3:00 pm on Wednesday, March 14, 2012
@John Smith: passed the bills to get this economy going in the right direction.
which jobs bills did GOPs pass since 2010...and what are the stats indicating they (if there were any) did increase jobs...so easy to spout party line hype...more difficult to provide facts...but look forward to your facts.
BTW it's a myth the USA economy does better und GOPs than DEMs...see my previous PATCH posts...but take a look at results of GOP policies...1929 and 2008.
Fisher
3:03 pm on Tuesday, March 13, 2012
If you can leave the labor force, maybe you shouldn't be counted as unemployed? I mean, I couldn't afford to lose my job and then get off unemployment. I don't know many people who could. So if you just stop searching, that unfortunate and shouldn't happen, but I wonder if those were people who maybe didn't need a job in the first place. Seems to me that people who really need to work to support themselves and their families wouldn't just give up and sit at home.
stanley seigler
4:37 pm on Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Re: Haley said. "We are going to keep fighting for tax relief that creates jobs so that everyone that wants a job has a job."
where are the jobs W's tax cuts created...
"Pressed on the failure of the Bush tax cuts, Boehner initially dodged the question before arguing that the cuts were actually successful in creating jobs, but that many of them were lost in the recession"
an effect of W's cuts: the recession and lost jobs...
oh/and what tax relief is the Gov fighting for...
politicians (DEMs/GOPs) says the strangest things.
ReadIt
9:20 pm on Tuesday, March 13, 2012
We've been calculating the UE rate like this for decades. Your complaining at this point in time solely because you don't agree with politicians party lines gives no merit to your arguments. Go complain to the 1940s if you have issues with how to come up with the UE rate.
SDR
10:03 pm on Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Love to see the BO fan club squirm.
"Obama's great but could overcome that dog Nikki"
Too funny....and stupid
John H
6:11 pm on Wednesday, March 14, 2012
It looks like the economy is improving. I can see it and feel it in the day to day operations of a small business. Who cares what a statistic (Unemployment Rate) means or is lacking. I’m having the best first quarter in years.
“Facts speak louder than statistics”. Mr. Justice Streatfield (1950).
"If all the statisticians in the world were laid head to toe, they wouldn't be able to reach a conclusion" Anon., after comment on economists by G. B. Shaw”
The political dogmatists on both sides use statistics to advance their own position, often one against the other, frequently to the detriment of both.
I’m just grateful that things are better. It’s been a miserable couple of years.
stanley seigler
9:03 pm on Wednesday, March 14, 2012
@John H: "... Who cares what a statistic (Unemployment Rate) means or is lacking. I’m having the best first quarter in years.
COMMENT
also not sure how much taxes or regs effect business...in another life they were just "figgered" in contract cost...then a percent was added on for profit...
competition determines if one has the low bid...this based on experience in the small business contracting.
i never (well dont remember) any discussion of taxes/regs.
BTW we tried to protect long time employees (friends, union members) who had slowed down...as did all crew members...something to do with respect for what workers do for a company.
PS. as an owner of a business, where do you find time to comment on PATCH.
John H
11:53 pm on Wednesday, March 14, 2012
“Best first quarter in years".... There is still a long long way to go. Hope it's not a flash in the pan. It's been up and down. Taxes and regs are accounted for in costs of sale in a way. They have remained more stable than other costs eg fuel and anything else to do with petroleum. Pricing of discretionary products has not kept pace with rising cost. Discretionary products market is smaller. Competition among the survivors is fierce. The bigger players can absorb it and still get paid. Us little guys just suck it up and hope for better times.
To Stanley; “where do you find time”….I don’t sleep much anymore. It was my New Year resolution to keep abreast of local issues. Now I’m hooked. I guess I should’ve made a Lenten resolution to become blissfully ignorant of them again.