For the first time in more than five years Anderson County’s unemployment rate has dropped below 6 percent, according to a report recently released by the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce. The Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) report issued by SCDEW reported Anderson County’s unemployment rate at 5.9%. This rate is the lowest since May of 2008, when the rate was reported at 5.8%.
According to the report, 78,692 Anderson residents were employed in November, an increase of more than 200 from October. The number of employed Andersonians has increased by nearly 5,500 since January of 2010, when employment reached its recession-era low of 73,220.
The number of residents reported as unemployed in November dropped to 4,944 according to the report, marking the first time since May of 2008 that unemployment has dipped below 5,000. The local unemployment number peaked at 11,578 in February 2010.
The local unemployment rate for October 2013 measured 6.5%. The unemployment rate in November 2012 was reported at 7.8%.
Statewide, the unemployment rate decreased to 7.1% from 7.5% in October.
