Unemployment Rate inches Up

Unemployment numbers rose slightly over last month according to figures recently released by the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce.  The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 8.4% in December from 8.3% in November.  The rate was 1.2% lower than the December 2011 rate of 9.6%. A similar trend occurred in the tri-county area of Upstate South Carolina.  Oconee County’s jobless rate was 9% in December, up from 8.6% in November.  Pickens County had a slight increase in unemployment with 7.5% reported in December compared to 7.4% in November.  Anderson County’s jobless rate jumped from 8% in November to 8.4% in December. Nationally, the unemployment rate remained at 7.8%, with roughly 28,000 more Americans working and 164,000 additional people searching for work.