Columbia, South Carolina Job Growth

There were 389,900 jobs in Columbia, South Carolina in February 2021 according to the CES survey of employers. The CPS survey of households showed 385,985 employed persons for the month. Columbia added 6,400 jobs in February 2021 according to the CES survey while the broader CPS measure of employment fell by 149 (Comparing CES and CPS employment numbers.). You can also compare Columbia job growth to job growth in other cities.

Note: The CPS survey data is now seasonally adjusted at the metropolitan level by with the new BLS SSA series.

Columbia, South Carolina Employment Changes

The charts below show the monthly job growth for Columbia as measured by the CES and CPS surveys. To illustrate the trend, the 3 month moving average change in employment is shown in green.

CES Employment Change: 1 Month, Rolling 3 Month

CPS Employment Change: 1 Month, Rolling 3 Month

Total Employment for Columbia, South Carolina

CES employment for Columbia peaked in September 2019 at 406,100. Since then 16,200 jobs have been lost in Columbia according to the employer survey. From a trough of 361,800 in April 2020, Columbia has gained 28,100 jobs according to CES employment figures.

CPS employment reached a maximum of 397,643 for Columbia in March 2020. 11,658 jobs have been lost in Columbia since then according to the household survey. From a April 2020 low of 362,236, Columbia has added 23,749 jobs according to the CPS survey.

Employment: CES, CPS

Columbia, South Carolina Employment History