Even though unemployment numbers were up in every county, the South Carolina Department of Labor Statistics reported the state's overall unemployment rate was unchanged in January.
In Anderson County, the jobless rate rose from 4.6 percent to 5 percent in January, with 4,469 of the county's 88,693 workforce employed. Anderson County’s increase to is a result of a slight rise in the labor force and a slight decrease (approximately 100 persons) in the total number of persons employed.
Anderson County still has the fifth lowest unemployment rate in the state and more than 3,000 mor employed now than in January 2015, when the rate was 6.2 percent.
Contributing to the change in Anderson County’s rate was a decline in seasonal employment from December to January. This decrease reflects historical trends for this time year.
The national unemployment rate in January was 4.9 percent.