How many jobs were added in South Carolina last month?
Refreshed monthly
South Carolina gained 2,600 jobs in May 2026, ranking it 23rd 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 4,400 new jobs per month. These figures are often revised in later months as more complete data rolls in.
+2.6K
month to month change in number of jobs (May 2026)
23rd
rank among states in monthly job growth (May 2026)
May 2026's gain of 2,600 jobs was the 3rd consecutive month of positive job growth in South Carolina. Monthly job growth was down from the 3,800 new jobs in April 2026.
During the latest five year period (June 2021 to May 2026), South Carolina gained jobs in 51 out of 60 months. May 2026 had the 23rd-lowest 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 2,600 more jobs in May 2026 in South Carolina than the previous month.
Monthly change in nonfarm employment, June 2021–May 2026, seasonally adjusted
Which South Carolina sectors and industries had the best and worst job growth in May 2026?
The three supersectors with the highest job growth in May 2026 were accommodation and food services, retail trade, and administrative and support and waste management and remediation services. Accommodation and food services added 1,300 jobs, more than the entire economy. Retail trade gained 1,000 jobs, while administrative and support and waste management and remediation services added 1,000. The remaining supersectors either posted smaller gains or lost jobs during the month.
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The retail trade sector gained 1,000 jobs during May 2026.
Change in jobs since previous month with circle size representing number of sector jobs in South Carolina (May 2026)
How does South Carolina's job growth in 2026 compare to previous years?
In 2025, South Carolina gained an average of 2,200 jobs every month. That's lower than the 2024 average monthly increase of 3,000, and the lowest since 2024. 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 6,100 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 May 2026 ranged from a loss of 100 jobs in the Sumter, SC area to a gain of 1,700 jobs in the Greenville, SC area metro 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. | +1,700 | |
| 2. | +1,100 | |
| 3. | +600 | |
| 4. | +500 | |
| 5. | +500 | |
| 6. | +500 | |
| 7. | +400 | |
| 8. | +100 | |
| 9. | -100 |
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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.
