How many jobs were added in South Carolina last month?
Refreshed monthly
South Carolina gained 12,500 jobs in September 2026, ranking it third among states in job growth. Those figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' state employment report, which tracks monthly job changes. Job numbers can swing month to month as local economies expand or contract, but over the past five years the state has averaged about 4,600 new jobs per month. These figures are often revised in later months as more complete data rolls in.
+12.5K
month to month change in number of jobs (September 2026)
3rd
rank among states in monthly job growth (September 2026)
September 2026's gain of 12,500 jobs was the 7th consecutive month of positive job growth in South Carolina. Monthly job growth was down from the 13,300 new jobs in August 2026.
During the latest five year period (October 2021 to September 2026), South Carolina gained jobs in 51 out of 60 months. September 2026 had the seventh-highest job growth during this period. The highest gains during this period occurred in October 2021 (+20,600) while job growth was weakest in February 2026 (-6,000).
There were 12,500 more jobs in September 2026 in South Carolina than the previous month.
Monthly change in nonfarm employment, October 2021–September 2026, seasonally adjusted
Which South Carolina sectors and industries had the best and worst job growth in September 2026?
The three supersectors with the highest job growth in September 2026 were accommodation and food services, health care and social assistance, and administrative and support and waste management and remediation services. Accommodation and food services added 4,600 jobs. Health care and social assistance gained 4,400 jobs, while administrative and support and waste management and remediation services added 2,500. The remaining supersectors either posted smaller gains or lost jobs during the month.
The three lowest-performing supersectors were local government, retail trade, and non-durable goods. local government lost 2,300 jobs in September 2026, while retail trade lost 1,400 jobs and non-durable goods lost 600 jobs.
Get weekly insights
Subscribe for data-driven insights. No spin, just the facts.
The retail trade sector lost 1,400 jobs during September 2026.
Change in jobs since previous month with circle size representing number of sector jobs in South Carolina (September 2026)
How has South Carolina's job growth changed over time?
In 2025, South Carolina gained an average of 2,208 jobs every month. That's lower than the 2024 average monthly increase of 2,983, and the lowest since 2020. The 2025 average ranks as 14th-highest in job growth since 2007.
When excluding the two pandemic-affected years of 2020 and 2021, job growth ranged from a loss of 7,700 on average every month in 2009 to a gain of 6,200 on average every month in 2022.
In 2025, South Carolina gained an average of 2,200 jobs every month.
Average monthly change in the number of jobs, seasonally adjusted
Job growth among eight metro areas primarily in South Carolina during September 2026 ranged from a gain of 100 jobs in the Hilton Head Island, SC area to a gain of 2,000 jobs in the Greenville, SC area.
Monthly job growth, by metro area
Metro areas where at least one of its primary counties are within South Carolina
| Metro area | Change in jobs | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | +2,000 | |
| 2. | +1,800 | |
| 3. | +1,400 | |
| 4. | +1,100 | |
| 5. | +600 | |
| 6. | +300 | |
| 7. | +300 | |
| 8. | +100 | |
| 9. | +100 |
Keep exploring
Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
