“How low can it go?”
That’s the question economists (and even a few mainstream media outlets) are finally beginning to ask as it relates to South Carolina’s rapidly shrinking labor force.
According to the latest data from the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce (SCDEW), South Carolina’s labor participation rate hit a fresh all-time low in November – dropping to 58.1 percent.
That’s nearly five points lower than the national rate of 63 percent – which is hovering at thirty-five year lows.
It’s also the seventh straight month that South Carolina has seen its labor force shrink, which means that recent declines in unemployment are being fueled at least in part by an exodus of available, working age laborers.
Take a look …
SC LABOR PARTICIPATION RATES
November 58.1 percent
October – 58.2 percent
September – 58.4 percent
August – 58.4 percent
July – 58.5 percent
June – 58.7 percent
May – 58.8 percent
April – 58.9 percent
(For historical labor participation rate data, click here).
Labor participation in South Carolina under Haley peaked at 60.9 percent in June 2011 but has been falling precipitously ever since. Similarly, the national rate has been declining steadily since U.S. President Barack Obama took office in January 2009.
Haley was called to account earlier this week by the Associated Press – which published a story questioning her administration’s rosy job claims (numbers the governor has previously been busted fudging).
Haley spokesman Rob Godfrey did not immediately respond to our request for comment regarding that story – or our request for comment regarding the state’s shrinking workforce.
45 comments
The longer we go without job creation, the more our young people will have to leave this state to find gainful employment, especially coming out of college.
I know many that have already, They couldn’t make enough at the sandwich shop to pay thier loans on time.
Actually, young people are less mobile than ever. Why? There’s no jobs anywhere.
North Dakota on line 1 Mr. Chiles. Canada on line 2.
And where would they go?
Keep voting Teabagger and for Queen Haley. If you like Wal-Mart jobs.
I’m having a movement, ahh, that was a good Haley. Flush
What will a vote for Sheheen prove? He hasn’t said anything about what he’ll do, all he does it bitch about how Haley is doing it. It’s hard to vote for someone who all he does is bitch and whine like an old Jewish woman.
But it’s not hard for a Republican like you to vote for the likes of Haley is it?Also Republican tell me the difference between an old Jewish woman and an old Baptist woman?
Haley vs. Sheheen, I’ll take Haley.
Old Baptist women don’t complain as much as old Jewish women, old Baptist women only complain as much as old Jewish men.
and yet FITS will ultimately endorse Haley in 2014…go figure.
Obama is a COMPLETE and Total disaster. Americans are suffering…
If all the people, nationwide, who have quit looking for jobs…were added to the workforce, Obama’s unemployment rate would be 11.7 percent…and we’re not even including faked numbers and PT jobs…
Bush’s unemployment rate averaged 5 percent. Yet you still have complete Dumb@$$ Obama supporters, and the media, trying to tell us that Son of a B!*ch is doing a good job…and Obamacare has not hit full-force yet….
Good Lord, how did this Anti-American charlatan ever get elected, TWICE????
Your Boy George did this to our country, numb – nut. Ever heard of Iraq ? Tell me how the wasted Lives and Trillions worked out over there ?
Good point, but a kinder gentler war is a waste of effort. Plus Barry has had 5 years now to get things sorted out, and it has only gotten worse. Back when Bush was president, John Kerry was calling 5% unemployment “the worst economy since the great depression.” He is, of course, an idiot, but that does not really distinguish him in any regard from any of the other fools in DC.
For sure on this, people in DC are not with us, not for the last 30 years. Bush never had a party after him, as President Obama has, even if means a government shutdown. We all need help since the 2 wars, I just don’t see where the R people are trying to help at all. The next elections should prove my point.
Talk is that the Democrats are is bad shape for this year’s election. Possibly bad enough to lose control of the Senate. If so Obama is fucked.
The country may have a chance if the Rs can get some BIG majorities in both chambers…by some miracle if we can repeal Obamcare, and watch investment explode…
Any movement to stop Obama’s destruction, and you’ll see gigantic excitement and growth by good Americans….we desperately need it….more than ever in our history…
What is a good American ?
So George is responsible for what’s happened over there the past 5 years?
BTW – Did you see the Wookie stayed in Hawaii, and now Air Force One will get to make a second round trip to pick her up when she feels like coming back to Washington. How much extra is it going to cost to ferry that bitch around?
One watch group states that it’ll cost approximately $63,000 to send a plane to get her… each way. Add in security costs and the price is approximately $200,000 of taxpayer dollars for Moochell to spend a few days with her girlfriends.
The put it in other terms, the cost to pick her up will be the as the annual salary for a school principal and two teachers.
Republicans think Obama is the reason why Iraq is a failure, right ?
George is not the president, Republicans are in congress, no plan other than make Obama a 1 term president. Didn’t work though. Bush’s legacy will cost 20 years to rebuild. You ever wonder why he keeps his mouth shut ? Even his own mom want’s Jed to stay out of politics. Why don’t you republicans come on board with the rest of Americans ?
Congress voted for Iraq. Not Bush. You might want to do a little homework before making a Dumb@$$ of yourself…
Bush, unlike the failed Obama followed the law…
Not to mention Obama claimed Iraq as a victory for himself…before he let it deteriorate…
Bush, unlike the failed Obama followed the law…
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…with a trainload of shit behind him long enough to fertilize the Sinai.
I was going to plus one ya bro, but your sources. Hmm…. Sorry.
Your not wrong on bushy, but….
I *totally* understand, but I learned a *long* time ago that extra energy spent on Republicans is wasted. I just copied the results from the top of the google stack on “Bush broke the law.” I figured he wouldn’t read any of them.
A person who is *really* interested in the facts can take *any* news source, using google, and cross-reference with other sources to the point of the origin of the information, and determine for themselves if it’s an opinion piece, or whether it’s based on solid evidence. GT isn’t in that community anyway.
He doesn’t respect *any* news source but NewsMax, Free Republic, Drudge, and American Stinker… and doesn’t trust those sites if they refer to MSM for facts.
MSM for facts.
That’s an oxymoron. LOL
That’s like… Oh hell. That’s unique to the world. Funny
The MSM does have access to facts, and I know from experience they have printed some.
However, NewsMax, Free Republic, the American Stinker, and Faux – not so much.
Well crap. I have to apologize. I can not say that the MSM is Fact less.
Every article that mentions the POTUS and mentions that Obutthead is POTUS, unfortunately is ‘a fact’.
Fact Lacking would be better. Lacking in Facts? Lacking of Facts? Hmmm….
Quoting the Great OWB “Buck Farack”.
I consider Obama a ‘friend,” though I’ve never met him, but I don’t have any problems with people who see him as a butthead… I wish he was more liberal, myself.
I’m one of those bleeding heart liberals you hear so much about.
I rock myself to sleep at night with dreams of Republicans burning in hell for eternity.
Case after case of kangaroo court, trumped up Bull–$#!..*…
But this one had me LMAO: “The Bush administration has violated a 2004 congressional deadline for presenting the latest scientific research about global warming”….Hahahahaha…
Was that before they caught the GW nutjobs lying about global warming???…Hahahahaha…Bush should be given a medal for ignoring those dip-$#!t4…go outside this morning, you stupid F*#k…Hahahaha…
When I say you Obama-Suck-offs have to be the most ignorant MoFos on earth…this shows exactly how F*#kin Stupid you are…You’ll believe anything the media ladles to your Dumb @$$#$….
And if the media is so on top of everything, link me the reports of the F*@kin mess Obama has made of the country…or are you so F*@kin ignorant you’re Denying that too…
PS: from looking at this parade of Dumb@$$ charges, I bet it’s against some Effed Up law to report the truth about Obama….
It’s no wonder we’re where we are w/ Dumb@$$#$ like you voting…
“Normally I give a pertinent answer, even to the vapid name-callers. But you present yourself as some sort of detached nutjob. Not sure what you’re trying to say…but it does seem you may have your lines crossed.
You could be a textbook sychopath, who kills, or rapes children, and you use your bent theology to justify it. Not sure I can chance any connection to that.:” – GrandTango
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What happened? I thought I was too great a threat to respond to.
BTW.. who are the vapid name-callers? You seem to be rather introspective, analytical and respectful. I’ve never seen you lower yourself to that tactic.
Bush followed the law ? Obamacare is a law.
http://www.factcheck.org/2013/04/obamas-numbers-quarterly-update/
Yeah, -1. Now I’ll read it.
EDIT: -2
“Good Lord, how did this Anti-American charlatan ever get elected, TWICE????”
The simple answer is: I don’t know. He’s sorta cool, though. We are apparently transending to an economy where your solider-boy ass needs to learn some skills to stay competitive. Can you knit, Big T?
Maybe I can learn to make a solar panel that does not lose money, or an electric car that won’t catch fire…or better yet, if I can print unemployment or welfare checks, they’ll always be a need for me, with Obama in charge…
You could create quite a few jobs, GT – sign up for therapy.
He’s tried therapy, therapists can’t get him out of their office fast enough and word is that their diagnosis is “no hope”.
Easy answer, Republican/Tparty BS ! Get a education, learn something other than republican spew. You’ll feel better !
The only good jobs being created are skilled jobs. These are the good paying jobs with benefits. On the other end of the spectrum we have the fast food workers, making minimum wages and requiring government assistance to make ends meet. If you do not have skills or education, your ass is grass.
The textile jobs are gone. Making sheets, and shirts, and pants is not longer American. They are made in Bangladesh. Textiles disappeared in the 70s and 80s when textile owners decided Americans workers are asking too much in pay. Unions disappeared at the same time. Unions at least helped stabilize families and incomes by paying a living wage.
Now everything is run according to the company’s mandate. Workers have no say so and so we have rising pay inequality. I just don’t know how much longer our small little towns across the state will last without any jobs for the men and women who live there. I am not picking on any town in particular because I think SC has great land and beauty and people but places like Belton and Honea Path, and Edgefield, when you see their downtowns, they look shabby and rundown like Charleston did in the 60’s before it was renovated.
We need economic revitalization at all levels. We need to work as a state to accomplish good things for our people. It is very cute for Guv Haley to wave around her new Berretta but big fucking deal. What has she done to make better? I don’t care if we elect a member of the Asparagus Party, we need someone to act like a grownup and take charge of turning this state around. There are millions of kids in China and India who will grow up and squash us like roaches if we don’t.
^^ What he said.
We’re becoming a nation of retirees. The numbers will skyrocket as boomer continue retiring.
There may be a day, when republicans pull thier head from thier asses, but untill then, they are in for a rude awakeing.