Charleston-North Charleston, South Carolina Unemployment
The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Charleston fell 0.1 percentage points in July 2022 to 2.8%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.4 percentage points lower than the South Carolina rate. The unemployment rate in Charleston peaked in April 2020 at 11.6% and is now 8.8 percentage points lower. You can also compare Charleston unemployment with unemployment in other cities.
| Unemployment Rate | July 2022 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | 3.5% | -0.1 | -1.9 |
| South Carolina | 3.2% | 0.0 | -0.8 |
| Charleston | 2.8% | -0.1 | -0.7 |
Unemployment Rate: Charleston, South Carolina, National
Note: Recessions shown in gray.
Charleston, South Carolina Unemployed
The number of people unemployed in Charleston peaked in April 2020 at 43,442. There are now 32,041 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. Charleston employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Charleston, South Carolina) is also available.
| Unemployed Persons | July 2022 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston | 11,401 | -566 | -2,411 |
Number of Unemployed Persons
Charleston, South Carolina Unemployment History
| Date | National Unemployment Rate |
South Carolina Unemployment Rate |
Charleston Unemployment Rate |
Charleston Unemployed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 2022 |
3.7% | — | — | — |
| July 2022 |
3.5% | 3.2% | 2.8% | 11,401 |
| June 2022 |
3.6% | 3.2% | 2.9% | 11,967 |
| May 2022 |
3.6% | 3.3% | 3.0% | 12,339 |
| April 2022 |
3.6% | 3.3% | 3.0% | 12,358 |
| March 2022 |
3.6% | 3.4% | 3.1% | 12,504 |
| February 2022 |
3.8% | 3.5% | 3.1% | 12,582 |
| January 2022 |
4.0% | 3.5% | 3.1% | 12,256 |
| December 2021 |
3.9% | 3.6% | 3.1% | 12,494 |
| November 2021 |
4.2% | 3.6% | 3.1% | 12,443 |
| October 2021 |
4.6% | 3.6% | 3.1% | 12,455 |
| September 2021 |
4.7% | 3.8% | 3.2% | 12,784 |
1. Metro area unemployment rates are now seasonally adjusted. The BLS has started publishing smoothed seasonally adjusted metropolitan area data which makes comparisons to state and national data more relevant than the unadjusted numbers. ↩
Department of Numbers
The Department of Numbers contextualizes public data so that individuals can form independent opinions on everyday social and economic matters.
