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

Employment and Workforce Executive Director William Floyd’s Statement

June 2026 Employment Situation

Columbia, S.C. – "The estimated number of unemployed people in South Carolina dropped to its lowest level since July 2025, and the unemployment rate continued to tick down as of June 2026 to 4.4 percent. This is the fourth consecutive month where the unemployment rate has dropped, and we continue to see a rise in employment with the number of South Carolinians working having reached another record high of 2,554,577,” said South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) Executive Director William Floyd.

“The labor force, which is the number of people working and those unemployed but looking for work, saw little change month-over-month, but continued to show impressive gains over the prior year by adding more than 75,800 residents since last June. Strong year-over-year employment growth has also continued in Construction, Other Services, and Education and Health Services," continued Floyd.

“June was the start of summer and while the temperature grew hotter, South Carolina’s job market was also on a hot streak with over 86,000 jobs available statewide through SC Works Online Services, the state’s largest job database,” said Floyd.

“For our state’s young people, this is the most opportune season to gain essential soft skills, earn their first paychecks, and experience different career pathways by finding part-time work. From hospitality and tourism to healthcare and human services, and countless other industries, there are almost 3,300 jobs available on DEW’s Youth Employment Site (YES) right now for young people to take advantage of. With over 21,000 visitors since its launch two years ago, the YES job board continues to help parents connect their teens with jobs and career exploration opportunities statewide, including our most rural areas. Teens can also find helpful workforce tips and videos on how to dress for success, prepare for a job interview, and develop soft skills on the site, along with other resources. For employers wanting to say YES to youth employment and post their openings on the site, make sure to register here so our DEW specialists can help you get started,” concluded Floyd.