South Carolina employment reaches record as unemployment falls to 4.4%

South Carolina’s unemployment rate fell to 4.4% in June 2026 as the number of working residents reached a record 2,554,577, the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce reported July 21.

The figures show continued growth in the state’s employment base while employers maintained tens of thousands of job listings. The results affect workers looking for jobs, businesses seeking employees and workforce-development programs connecting people with available positions.

Record employment and a larger labor force

DEW described the June employment total as another record high. The figure counts South Carolina residents who were working during the month, and it represents the central measure of employment in the state’s latest release.

The state’s labor force also grew by more than 75,800 residents compared with June 2025. The labor force includes people who are working as well as people who are unemployed but seeking work. That means the year-over-year increase reflects more residents participating in the labor market, not simply a change in the number of people without jobs.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics also reported a preliminary 4.4% unemployment rate for South Carolina in June. The BLS state series is consistent with the employment and labor-force figures cited by DEW.

Unemployment is a rate rather than a count of every adult without a job. It generally describes the share of people in the labor force who are unemployed and looking for work. The June result therefore provides one measure of labor-market conditions alongside the record number of employed residents and the larger labor force.

Job listings remain high

SC Works Online Services listed more than 86,000 jobs statewide at the time of DEW’s release. The state youth employment site listed almost 3,300 jobs for young people.

Those listings point to opportunities available through the state’s employment system, including positions that may be relevant to job seekers at different stages of their careers. They also give employers a channel for recruiting workers and give workforce programs information about the kinds of openings being advertised.

The listing totals should not be read as a count of net new jobs created in June. Job-board totals are point-in-time listings and can include duplicate postings or positions that are filled after being advertised. The number of listings and the number of employed residents measure different parts of the labor market.

Growth varied by industry

DEW reported strong year-over-year employment growth in Construction, Other Services, and Education and Health Services. The release identified those industries as areas of notable growth, but it did not establish that every industry expanded at the same rate.

That distinction matters for workers and employers. A statewide employment record describes the overall labor market, while industry-level growth can shape where openings are concentrated and which skills employers are seeking. The available figures identify several growing areas without providing a complete comparison of every sector.

What the numbers show next

The June report provides a snapshot of South Carolina’s labor market as of that month: employment reached 2,554,577, unemployment stood at 4.4%, and the labor force was more than 75,800 residents larger than a year earlier. More than 86,000 statewide listings and almost 3,300 youth listings were available through state employment websites when DEW issued the release.

Together, the measures show a state with record employment and a substantial volume of advertised openings. They do not, by themselves, show that every listed position is newly created, that every sector is growing, or that one state program caused the decline in unemployment. The next employment reports will show whether the June conditions continue.

Sources

• June 2026 Employment Situation, South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce
• South Carolina Economy at a Glance, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Look for updates to this story

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