SC jobless rate up for first time in 10 months | News

MEG KINNARD
Associated Press

COLUMBIA, SC (AP) - The downward trend for South Carolina's jobless rate has ended, at least for now.

The state's Department of Employment and Workforce said Friday that South Carolina's unemployment rate was 9.1 percent in May.

That's an increase of 0.3 percentage points over April's rate of 8.8 percent. It's the first time South Carolina's jobless figure has gone up in 10 months. The April rate had been the state's lowest in more than three years.

Only two of South Carolina's 46 counties had declines in their May jobless rates. Unemployment was highest in Marion County, at 17.1 percent.

The federal government reported earlier this month that the national unemployment rate for May was 8.2 percent, up slightly from April's 8.1 percent.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.