Record Unemployment
Next time you hear the term “record unemployment” tossed out in reference to the Palmetto State, it won’t be hyperbole.
South Carolina’s unemployment rate reached an all-time high of 11.5% today – with the ceiling still lurking.
It was the thirteenth straight month that the state’s unemployment rate had increased, another modern record, although the increase in unemployment has at least slowed somewhat over the past two months.
Not surprisingly, lawmakers have sought to lay the blame squarely on the shoulders S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford – despite the fact that the Republican-controlled S.C. General Assembly has blocked every single one of the governor’s major economic development proposals over the past six years.
They’ve also reduced funding for the Department of Commerce, the state’s chief job recruitment agency.
“It’s very disingenuous for lawmakers to blame our administration on job recruitment efforts when they’ve cut Commerce Department funding back to mid-nineties levels,” Sanford spokesman Joel Sawyer told FITS.
The county with the highest unemployment rate? Chester County – with a whopping 21.8% rate.
In fact, five S.C. counties have rates higher than 20%, while seventeen S.C. counties have rates higher than 15%.
The lowest? Lexington County, which has a 7.6% rate.
WEB EXTRA
Comments
By the working man's friend on May 22nd, 2009 at 9:35 pm
the first chart on the web extra shows substantial job grow over the previous month. what gives with the rate increase
By BIN News Editorial Staff on May 22nd, 2009 at 10:29 pm
And, you know what? The unemployment rate is about to go up even more.
Thanks to gub’ner sanfraud’s wrong headed refusal to accept all the stimulus money S.C. is entitled to. Understand what that means.
gub’ner sanfraud is about to be personally responsible for the next spike in the unemployment rate in S.C. Mostly teachers and law enforcement.
Paying off the mortgage is a great, but not when the house is on fire.
BIN News Editorial Staff
Flair and Balanced
By BIN Retard Editorial Staff on May 23rd, 2009 at 8:01 am
Gub’ner sanfraud hates teachers and firemen.I have seen him stalking them.I think he is trying to ruin this state so he can take it over for his own evil doing.Soon there will be criminals in the streets and our kids will not be getting the proper propaganda we want them to have.
Please comrades let us join together to demand sanfraud runs up the debt more for the common good
comm and commier
By liz on May 23rd, 2009 at 8:01 am
I just read that other states unemployment numbers have gone down.
Unemployment rate down in 21 states:
http://money.cnn.com/2009/05/22/news/economy/State_unemployment/index.htm?postversion=2009052212
By Liberty for me on May 23rd, 2009 at 8:45 am
I dont think unemployment figures say much(states rank them different) ….look back at that same link and check the state deficit.We are 700 million away from being balanced.HMMM where could we get that money so that we would be balanced and not need extra taxing??…Then maybe we could offer tax breaks for business to come here.Get a clue you socialist dumbasses
By bInGE nEwS eDItOrIAl sTafF on May 23rd, 2009 at 8:49 am
I understand that gub’ner sanfraud wants to take over South Carolina so he can personally hunt unemployed teachers and firemen for sport. After which, he plans to personally step on baby ducks and kick puppies. Only by running up more debt can we stop this evildoer.
On a Binge News Editorial Staff
Scared and Unbalanced
By Silence Dogood on May 24th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
“the working man’s friend” Unemployment will either trend downward or grow less quickly in many areas of the stte and maybe even as a state wide average for the next month or two due to seasonal employment – summer jobs, farm jobs et cetera for primarily summer bases industries (tourism, amusement, crop production, child care et cetera).
By BC on May 25th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
The articile mentions that the Department of Commerce’s funding has been twindled down to the mid-nineties levels, wasn’t that the plan? Am I not mistaken in my assumption that Gov. Sanford wants to reduce government and return some of the money to tax payers? He needs to realize that you can’t have it both ways. The State of South Carolina could learn plenty from her neighbors in North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. As for the state’s unemployment numbers, they are about to swell as predicted. Many state agencies, counties, cities, and school districts are drafting or re-drafting their budgets to account for the reduced funding levels. To counteract some of the damage expected many of these entities are not filling vacancies. Seems like a good idea right? Wrong! Anytime unemployment goes up so does the crime rate. These two measures go hand in hand. If police departments or sheriff offices do not fill sworn uniform officer vacancies due to budget freezes; that spells trouble with skyrocketing unemployment rates. This simply translates into the same force level of officers/deputies operating to contain an ever increasing problem.
While no one foresees a mass exit of public service personnel on July 1, 2009 it will be a trickle and then a sudden upswing as the year closes. It is time for South Carolinians to wake up and face reality and ask yourself a hard question. Who is really responsible for the issues affecting SC today? Many blame Gov. Sanford. I blame his lack of leadership and vision on addressing the matter. Many blame the General Assembly. I blame their lack of understanding on what’s really happening on the outside of the state house grounds. Please take all of these and the many events leading up to this moment and remember it well during the next election!