COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- The unemployment rate in South Carolina rose nearly half a percentage point in October, to 12.1 percent.
The Employment Security Commission also said Friday it had revised September's rate up 0.1 percentage points, to 11.7.
The agency says the number of unemployed people in South Carolina went up by nearly 10,000 in October, to about 263,000.
Here's a look at the county-by-county unemployment rates in the Midlands (ranked from highest to lowest):
- Orangeburg - 17.8%
- Clarendon - 16.2%
- Lee - 15.8%
- Sumter - 13.9%
- Calhoun - 13.1%
- Fairfield - 12.1%
- Newberry - 11.9%
- Kershaw - 10.5%
- Richland - 9.8%
- Saluda - 9.8%
- Lexington - 8.6%
Allendale County had the state's highest jobless rate, at 22 percent. Unemployment was lowest in Lexington County, at 8.6 percent. Related Coverage: South Carolina Unemployment Rates by County
The state's overall job count was down 60,500 from a year ago. It's nearly 95,000 below December 2007, when the recession began.
State-by-state unemployment numbers for October show our state was fifth-highest in the nation again. Michigan has the highest unemployment rate in the country, at just over 15 percent.
11/20/2009 10:44:28 AM
