Employment and Workforce Executive Director William Floyd’s Statement

March 2025 Employment Situation

Columbia, S.C. – “South Carolina experienced very strong month-over-month job growth in March with the addition of 10,200 more workers, capping a positive first quarter of 2025. Also, the state’s unemployment rate dipped in March to 4.1%, back below the national rate of 4.2%,” said the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) Executive Director William Floyd. “The businesses reported a record 2.4 million jobs, including broad-based growth in Accommodation and Food Services of +2,900, Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation of +2,600, and Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services of +1,600.”

“Business payrolls have grown 2.4% since last March, which is double the national employment growth rate of 1.2%,” continued Floyd. “In addition to this strong employment growth, the state’s average hourly earnings also increased 6.3% year-over-year compared to the national change of 3.8%.”

“With this steady and solid growth, South Carolina’s workforce community has been hard at work connecting jobseekers with employers,” said Floyd. “DEW continues focusing on the state’s evolving workforce opportunities and challenges, which has triggered innovative new programs such as the S.T.A.Y.S. program directly introducing applicants who are veterans and their spouses to employers,” explained Floyd. 

“More opportunities are out there in multiple industries including healthcare, manufacturing, retail, hospitality and tourism, education, and construction, among others,” said Floyd. “Whether through job fairs in rural areas, hiring events for employers expanding their workforce, linking students with local employers hiring for seasonal work, or personalizing our services to support businesses, DEW and the SC Works system are ready to help,” concluded Floyd.