Counties with the highest unemployment in South Carolina

(STACKER) — While today’s unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.

Experts are mixed in their views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession. The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.

But as of August 2023, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.8%—nearly the same as the same month last year, and up about 0.3 percentage points from July. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 1.7% in Maryland to 5.4% in Nevada.

Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in South Carolina using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in August 2023, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.

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#46. Lexington County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 2%
— 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 154,831 people (3,091 unemployed)

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#45. Charleston County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 2%
— 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 228,826 people (4,681 unemployed)

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#44. Dorchester County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.1%
— 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 84,635 people (1,758 unemployed)

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#43. Greenville County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.1%
— 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 267,937 people (5,734 unemployed)

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#42. Hampton County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.2%
— 1-month change: Down 1.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,083 people (179 unemployed)

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#41. Jasper County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.2%
— 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 13,724 people (304 unemployed)

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#40. Pickens County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.2%
— 1-month change: Down 1.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 59,577 people (1,332 unemployed)

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#39. Berkeley County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.2%
— 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 116,725 people (2,559 unemployed)

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#38. Saluda County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.3%
— 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,624 people (198 unemployed)

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#37. Newberry County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.3%
— 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 19,403 people (446 unemployed)

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#36. Oconee County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.3%
— 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 36,121 people (834 unemployed)

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#35. Beaufort County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.3%
— 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 80,191 people (1,872 unemployed)

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#34. Anderson County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.3%
— 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 94,199 people (2,144 unemployed)

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#33. York County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.3%
— 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 154,989 people (3,561 unemployed)

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#32. Edgefield County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.4%
— 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 10,332 people (245 unemployed)

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#31. Kershaw County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.4%
— 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 30,021 people (720 unemployed)

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#30. Florence County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.4%
— 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 68,401 people (1,642 unemployed)

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#29. Spartanburg County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.4%
— 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 159,084 people (3,848 unemployed)

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#28. Richland County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.4%
— 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 201,762 people (4,906 unemployed)

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#27. Aiken County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.5%
— 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 73,886 people (1,824 unemployed)

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#26. Colleton County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
— 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 16,362 people (420 unemployed)

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#25. Georgetown County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
— 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 27,646 people (713 unemployed)

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#24. Greenwood County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
— 1-month change: Down 1.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 29,906 people (782 unemployed)

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#23. Laurens County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
— 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 30,954 people (808 unemployed)

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#22. Darlington County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
— 1-month change: Down 1.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 30,876 people (817 unemployed)

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#21. Horry County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
— 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 160,871 people (4,151 unemployed)

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#20. McCormick County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
— 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,386 people (92 unemployed)

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#19. Calhoun County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
— 1-month change: Down 1.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,555 people (179 unemployed)

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#18. Chesterfield County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
— 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 21,541 people (611 unemployed)

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#17. Lancaster County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
— 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 45,624 people (1,274 unemployed)

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#16. Sumter County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
— 1-month change: Down 1.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 42,816 people (1,257 unemployed)

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#15. Abbeville County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3%
— 1-month change: Down 1.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,519 people (281 unemployed)

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#14. Lee County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
— 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,568 people (209 unemployed)

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#13. Clarendon County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
— 1-month change: Down 1.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 12,194 people (396 unemployed)

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#12. Chester County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
— 1-month change: Down 1.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 13,961 people (460 unemployed)

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#11. Union County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: Down 1.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 11,483 people (396 unemployed)

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#10. Fairfield County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: Down 1.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,395 people (328 unemployed)

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#9. Dillon County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: Down 1.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 13,390 people (466 unemployed)

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#8. Barnwell County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,711 people (279 unemployed)

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#7. Cherokee County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Down 2.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 23,171 people (839 unemployed)

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#6. Marion County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: Down 1.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 12,831 people (472 unemployed)

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#5. Orangeburg County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Down 1.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 33,434 people (1,300 unemployed)

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#4. Williamsburg County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: Down 1.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 10,570 people (432 unemployed)

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#3. Allendale County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1-month change: Down 1.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,293 people (103 unemployed)

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#2. Bamberg County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
— 1-month change: Down 2.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,594 people (218 unemployed)

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#1. Marlboro County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.2%
— 1-month change: Down 2.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,427 people (457 unemployed)

This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.