Employment and Workforce Executive Director William Floyd’s Statement May 2026 Employment Situation

Employment and Workforce Executive Director William Floyd’s Statement

May 2026 Employment Situation

Columbia, S.C. – "South Carolina’s unemployment rate fell for the third straight month in May, dropping to 4.6 percent as the number of employed residents increased by nearly 10,000 compared to the prior month. In addition to steadily rising employment, the state’s labor force also added nearly 78,500 people over the past year, bringing the state’s overall labor force participation rate (LFPR) to a ten-year high of 59.0 percent. Along with the previously published prime-age LFPR of jobseekers, ages 25-54, being 82.7 percent for South Carolina, this data reinforces continued positive growth of our state’s workforce,” said South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) Executive Director William Floyd. 

“Employment growth over the past month was broad-based across a variety of industries, including Construction, Retail Trade, Administrative and Support and Waste Management, Private Educational Services, and Accommodation and Food Services,” continued Floyd. 

“The majority of South Carolina’s metropolitan areas also continued their positive employment growth with Myrtle Beach leading the way with 2.2 percent year-over-year growth followed by Hilton Head and Greenville," stated Floyd. 

“In May, DEW celebrated Small Business Appreciation Month by sharing jobseeker success stories, business spotlights, and labor market information on social media. According to data from the U.S. Small Business Administration, South Carolina has over 530,400 small businesses employing more than 863,300 people, representing the vital impact that local entrepreneurs have on our state’s economy,” said Floyd.

“Businesses of all sizes can continue to take advantage of SC Works employer services statewide, such as recruitment support, participating in job fairs and hiring events, and many other resources offered at our centers and through scworks.org, but many businesses can also take advantage of hiring young people throughout the summer and beyond. Our agency’s Regional Workforce Advisors can help businesses connect with young people out of school by getting their part-time jobs posted on our Youth Employment Site, and can connect them with students while in school through tours, training opportunities, and even helping to develop internships. From our smallest employers to our largest corporations, any business interested in learning more about student outreach is strongly encouraged to reach out to their local Regional Workforce Advisor at rwa@dew.sc.gov.” concluded Floyd.