Counties with the highest unemployment in South Carolina

The first jobs report under the new Trump administration showed a stable job market, with the unemployment rate ticking down from 4.1% to 4% in January, the lowest since last May, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics figures released Feb. 7.

The report marks 49 consecutive months of overall job growth, the second-longest recorded period since 1939.

Job losses that did occur were concentrated in the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction industries, which declined by 8,000 jobs over the month. There was little change in employment in other major industries.

To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates South Carolina, using BLS data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in December 2024, 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.

Key takeaways: Jobs report reveals cooling labor market

January's job growth of 143,000 fell short of expectations, while the downward revision of 589,000 fewer jobs in 2024 suggests the labor market was weaker last year than initially thought.

Business leaders are starting to display more caution, with 67% of executives reporting higher stress levels heading into 2025, according to a survey of 1,000 executives by Sentry, a business insurance company. Among survey respondents, 47% citing economic uncertainty as their biggest concern.

"We have what I would describe as a robust but frozen labor market," Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY-Parthenon, told The New York Times, noting that while unemployment remains low, there's very little churn or employee turnover as "businesses are being cautious as to how they manage their work force."

Moody's Analytics projects monthly payroll gains could slow to around 100,000 by year-end.

The big story: Potential for economic headwinds grows

Behind the "Now Hiring" signs and modest unemployment rate, there's growing concern on Main Street that the economy might be more fragile than it appears.

"You've already got companies hiring as if they're in a recession—even if they're not laying people off," Oliver Allen, senior U.S. economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, told CNN. Average unemployment duration, a lagging indicator, rose from 20.8 weeks in January 2024 to 22 in January of this year.

Tightening trade regulations and federal trimming could also have an impact on the job market. Experts predict the U.S. gross domestic product could take a hit due to increased tariffs. The U.S. government is the country's largest employer and contributes 36% to the GDP.

Sudden cuts to federal spending advocated by the new administration could hit the economy hard. One example of the potential fallout is that if prices were to increase further due to higher tariffs, consumer purchasing power would decline, stymieing economic growth.

Whether the effects of slashing the workforce and the budget will be exceeded by Trump's plans to loosen business regulations and cut taxes remains to be seen.

To get a better idea of your community's current economy, read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in South Carolina.

46. Charleston County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 236,269 people (7,653 unemployed)

45. Lexington County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 159,891 people (5,345 unemployed)

44. Hampton County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,353 people (287 unemployed)

42. Saluda County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,755 people (303 unemployed)

42. Dorchester County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 87,372 people (3,035 unemployed)

41. Greenville County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 274,385 people (10,004 unemployed)

38. Anderson County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 96,387 people (3,589 unemployed)

38. Berkeley County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 120,607 people (4,445 unemployed)

38. Jasper County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,113 people (527 unemployed)

36. Beaufort County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 81,738 people (3,096 unemployed)

36. Oconee County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 35,839 people (1,351 unemployed)

32. York County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 157,824 people (6,185 unemployed)

32. Florence County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 70,811 people (2,769 unemployed)

32. Pickens County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 61,166 people (2,362 unemployed)

32. Spartanburg County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 164,457 people (6,452 unemployed)

27. Newberry County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,557 people (740 unemployed)

27. Kershaw County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 31,044 people (1,253 unemployed)

27. Aiken County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: -0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 74,951 people (3,031 unemployed)

27. Edgefield County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,470 people (423 unemployed)

27. Chesterfield County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,466 people (848 unemployed)

26. Colleton County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: -0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,765 people (680 unemployed)

22. McCormick County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: -0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,652 people (154 unemployed)

22. Laurens County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: -0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 31,731 people (1,343 unemployed)

22. Calhoun County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,763 people (285 unemployed)

22. Richland County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: -0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 209,335 people (8,769 unemployed)

20. Darlington County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 31,868 people (1,389 unemployed)

20. Abbeville County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,818 people (435 unemployed)

19. Lancaster County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 46,436 people (2,091 unemployed)

18. Georgetown County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 26,927 people (1,249 unemployed)

17. Greenwood County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: -0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 30,907 people (1,454 unemployed)

16. Horry County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 158,754 people (7,623 unemployed)

15. Union County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: -1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,877 people (585 unemployed)

14. Sumter County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: -0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 43,006 people (2,229 unemployed)

13. Lee County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: -1.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,612 people (353 unemployed)

11. Clarendon County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,125 people (660 unemployed)

11. Fairfield County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,745 people (529 unemployed)

9. Marion County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,231 people (728 unemployed)

9. Chester County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
--- 1-month change: -1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,256 people (788 unemployed)

8. Cherokee County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.6%
--- 1-month change: -1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,634 people (1,269 unemployed)

7. Dillon County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
--- 1-month change: -1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,203 people (772 unemployed)

6. Barnwell County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 6%
--- 1-month change: -0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,581 people (453 unemployed)

5. Orangeburg County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.2%
--- 1-month change: -1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 33,570 people (2,095 unemployed)

4. Allendale County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.3%
--- 1-month change: -0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,405 people (152 unemployed)

3. Williamsburg County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.5%
--- 1-month change: -1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,956 people (652 unemployed)

2. Bamberg County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.1%
--- 1-month change: -1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,595 people (325 unemployed)

1. Marlboro County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.4%
--- 1-month change: -1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,670 people (569 unemployed)

This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Ben Popken, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.