SC

SC Unemployment Ticks Up … Again

THIS ISN’T THE NUMBER TO WATCH, THOUGH … By FITSNews || South Carolina’s unemployment rate climbed from a revised 5.8 percent to 6.4 percent in August, according to data released by the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce (SCDEW).  A total of 138,108 South Carolinians were without a job last…

THIS ISN’T THE NUMBER TO WATCH, THOUGH …

By FITSNews || South Carolina’s unemployment rate climbed from a revised 5.8 percent to 6.4 percent in August, according to data released by the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce (SCDEW).  A total of 138,108 South Carolinians were without a job last month – an increase of 13,396 from July.

Obviously that’s not the number to keep tabs on, though …

The state’s labor participation rate – which measures what percentage of the state’s working-age citizens are employed – stood at 57.9 percent in August, up negligibly from a record low of 57.8 percent in July.

That’s the real problem … as only five states have lower labor participation rates than South Carolina’s.

Labor participation in South Carolina under “Jobs Governor” Nikki Haley peaked at 60.9 percent in June 2011 but has been falling precipitously ever since.  Similarly, the national rate has been declining steadily since U.S. President Barack Obama took office in January 2009.

The Palmetto State’s workforce continues to struggle despite a flood of government-subsidized “jobs announcements” from Haley – who has been busted on several occasions artificially inflating the state’s employment picture, too (including HERE and HERE).

The latest employment data comes one day after the U.S. Census Bureau published updated income estimates for 2013.  South Carolina ranked No. 44 out of fifty states with a median household income of $44,163 – well below the stagnant national rate of $52,250.

The data also comes a week after a recent report ranked the state’s economy the fifth-worst in the nation – citing its weak standing on employment, per capita gross domestic product (GDP) and incomes.

Haley’s administration did its best to put a positive spin on the data.

“In August, South Carolina’s labor force grew to almost 2.2 million people signaling that individuals are entering the job market, actively pursuing the nearly 70,000 available jobs,” SCDEW director Cheryl Stanton said.

Not surprisingly, the Palmetto State’s underwhelming economic conditions quickly became campaign fodder.

“While Gov. Haley’s view from her mansion might be rosy, one in five South Carolinians are living in poverty.  That’s simply unacceptable,” said Tom Ervin, a self-styled independent Republican running against Haley as a petition candidate.

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31 comments

Salty Doggerel September 19, 2014 at 2:35 pm

AT LEAST KURT HAS A JOB….
As an example of political mean-ery
Kicking customers out of a burritio beanery
Must be high on somebody’s list.
But Nikki’s ass is an ass to be kissed,
Not to mention Chris Christie’s.
One’s eyes get misty
When he imagines how many lips
It would take to cover the distance between that guvnor’s hips.
So, a Bronx cheer to Kurt Pickhardt,
A man of many “means.”
Remember, Kurt, as you eat those beans,
That a Bronx cheer is a big fart.

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SC Political Digest September 19, 2014 at 2:40 pm

Totally irrelevant. Nothing will matter until and unless we rid Democrats of power.

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john September 19, 2014 at 3:03 pm

You must me get rid of the Republican party because the last time I check they control Washington and they control South Carolina.

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SC Political Digest September 19, 2014 at 3:49 pm

Obamacare, QE, Solyndra, Coal Industry, GM, Welfare, Food Stamps, Labor Dept., Budget, Immigration, Eric Holder’s Justice. Yeah it’s the GOP’s fault …Obama, who vowed to change it all and transform America, has no responsibility, or accountability.

You certainly are the “Best and Brightest”….for the Democrat Party level of intelligence anyway…(:

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Deo Vindice SC September 20, 2014 at 5:21 pm

WMD’s, Bengazzi

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the lesbian veggie September 20, 2014 at 6:41 pm

Hillary is brain injured from her strokes.She thinks WMD means “Where’s My Dildo”.

guest September 20, 2014 at 6:31 pm

They are mad at ya cause you tell the truth.
Ervin is the “Best and Brightest” the dems have. He wants to eliminate the state income tax and expand free health insurance via Obamacare/Medicaid.
That explains why Ervin is spending millions and polling at 0%.

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FastEddy23 September 19, 2014 at 10:08 pm

Dump ’em all. Clear the slate. Vote commie or libertarian, no matter.

And stop giving Them (D/R) money! It only encourages Them and makes Them hard to light.

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you really know your stuff September 19, 2014 at 3:23 pm

That’s right, GrandTang/BigT/Emily Peterkin! If the people of South Carolina would quit putting democrats in control of everything, unemployment would go down. By the way, thanks for staying unemployed and leaving one more job open for someone else.

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SC Political Digest September 19, 2014 at 3:45 pm

SC is actually faring better than the nation, except for the armpits of the state where cyclical poverty has existed – and exists – parallel to Democrat rule. In the GOP sections of SC, we’re doing better, but still hurting compared almost all of Bush’s two terms.

The country has been in a Depression, at the hand of the failed Obama Administration. You can deny that, or blame others, but only the stupid will believe you.

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you really know your stuff September 19, 2014 at 5:59 pm

Oh, shut up and get a job already. I’m tired of my tax dollars subsidizing you sitting around all day spamming comments sections. You represent everything you claim to hate, sweet boy.

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Grand Tango FTW! September 19, 2014 at 6:15 pm

” I’m tired of my tax dollars subsidizing you sitting around all day spamming comments sections.”
That’s not how taxes work, no one gets to pick what they will/won’t subsidize. If you don’t like the system, you’re screwed.

There I fixed it September 19, 2014 at 11:02 pm

I’m tired of you.

nitrat September 20, 2014 at 9:21 am

As some of us keep pointing out, the best way to show that is to stop responding to IT.

nitrat September 20, 2014 at 9:20 am

Yeah, but I bet he’s getting SS disability for mental problems.

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FastEddy23 September 19, 2014 at 10:05 pm

And Abolish the IRS.

Nothing says get to work to a welfare tax sucker than No More Food Stamps for you

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Bible Thumper September 19, 2014 at 3:54 pm

THIS ISN’T THE NUMBER TO WATCH, THOUGH …

The labor force participation rate is important, but many labor force participates are unemployed and only searching for jobs. The best statistic to use is called “Percent of population”. It is the percentage of the adult civilian non instructional population who have jobs.

South Carolina’s rate is 54.2%. That is down from 54.5% in July. This number had been creeping up since Haley took office, but has been dropping since May. Mostly since Haley took office, there has been steadying job growth, but the population as grown slightly less keeping the rates improving only slightly. The nation is experiencing the same problem. There has been little improvement since the end of the recession.

From when Haley took office until May 2014, South Carolina gained 109,389 jobs but, since then lost 15,224 of those jobs. SC lost 7,649 in August alone. The situation would probably look worse if you consider many more jobs are part time.

South Carolina has always been poorer than many other states, whether Democrats or Republicans were in power, but nationally the percent of population employed has barely improved since the end of the recession.

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Pride cometh b4 the fall September 19, 2014 at 6:16 pm

Is it tough knowing everything?

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Bible Thumper September 19, 2014 at 6:21 pm

The toughest part is remaining humble. ;-)

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nitrat September 20, 2014 at 9:17 am

But, since there’s no sourcing of your numbers, for all “Pride…” knoweth, they could be totally fabricated, as well as your premise.

We know FITS’ stats usually are agenda driven once you check the source.

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Bible Thumper September 20, 2014 at 9:33 am

http://www.bls.gov/lau/ststdsadata.txt

Nitrat, I used Jan 2011 data and May – August 2014 from the above link. I did some simple subtraction.

Elroy September 19, 2014 at 4:31 pm

TIME TO LAY OFF ALL OF SCDEW STAFF IN THE FIELD (AGAIN!)

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Now there's an idea September 21, 2014 at 11:53 am

SCDEW’s Cheryl Stanton has already closed many rural workforce employment and retraining offices….while the Department of Commerce is calling for getting more workers trained to attract more companies to South Carolina. Maybe Commerce ought to run workforce development instead of SCDEW as it did under Sanford. Now there’s an issue for our candidates for governors to debate!

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euwe max September 19, 2014 at 5:00 pm

It’s like… like.. a time bomb!

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Rock-eye September 19, 2014 at 7:30 pm

It’s a plot. Check out GA – their rate went up too. It’s an Obama plot.

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euwe max September 19, 2014 at 7:49 pm

tick – tock… it will all soon explode, and become libertarian by default!

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Bible Thumper September 20, 2014 at 2:15 am

Jameis Winston is suspended for entire game.

Reply
Ralph September 20, 2014 at 10:40 am

Greenville, SC (WSPA) — A South Carolina State Trooper has been fired after he was arrested following a domestic assault on Thursday night.

Charles “Homer” Rose III, 70, was arrested and charged with Criminal Domestic Violence after Greenville County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a 911 call regarding an assault at his home on Riley Smith Drive just before 10 pm. According to a report obtained from the sheriff’s office, deputies saw injuries to the victim and placed him under arrest, as mandated by state law. Rose was transported to the Greenville County Detention Center where he was later released on $3,000 bond.

South Carolina Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Sherri Iacobelli stated that Rose, who was a temporary employee with the agency, was initially suspended without pay following the arrest, but later stated that he was terminated effective immediately. Iacobelli said that Rose had been with the agency for more than 40 years but had left and returned several times.

In May, Rose’s wife, Paula, was sentenced to five years of probation and five years of house arrest after a jury convicted her of third-degree arson, attempting to defraud an insurer and filing a false police report after she told deputies that three masked men tried to burglarize their home and set it on fire. Deputies said she set the house on fire in an attempt to collect insurance money.

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SC Political Digest September 20, 2014 at 4:38 pm

When the US – leader of the free world – is rotten at its leadership, it damages everyone.

We tried to tell the ignorant that a rising tide floats all boats, and wealth for those with the initiative to create, fills pockets all the way down, to the bottom of the hill…

As it is: Harvest Hope Food Bank is laying off staff, and closing its doors to the multiplying folds of the hungry. Food Stamp rolls are at maximum. But you’d rather punish income-generators because your filthy and corrupt gods of liberalism tell you it’s our fault you are miserable and full of hate. When really, all who sell their soul to the immoral, live dead.

You kill yourselves w/ contempt and hostility for all that is not you. And all it gets you is just as destitute materially, as you are spiritually. Worship false gods, and here is the result. It has been that way since Adam.

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anon. September 21, 2014 at 1:35 pm

NIKKI HALEY ONLY CARES ABOUT NIKKI HALEY!

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