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by ERIN PARROTT
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South Carolina has found itself at the bottom of the U.S. job market when it comes to remote work opportunities, with only 2% of open roles offering fully remote work, according to a comprehensive analysis of more than 5 million job postings nationwide.
While flexible work has become a hallmark of the modern labor force – and a non-negotiable benefit for many job seekers – the Palmetto State remains overwhelmingly in-office, outpaced by nearly every other state. According to a job market study by JobLeads, South Carolina ranks behind Mississippi (4%) and West Virginia (3%) on this metric.
Nationally, trends show a marked decline in remote job postings compared with the boom years during and after Covid-19. Currently, only about 6% of newly listed U.S. jobs are fully remote – with another 7% offering hybrid options.
South Carolina falls well below even that modest mark, however, with just 2% of jobs fully remote and few hybrid options – a sharp contrast to remote-friendly states like Oregon (10%) or the District of Columbia (8%).
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This data paints a particularly distinct picture for local workers who want the flexibility to work from home – or for employers trying to attract top talent in a competitive labor market.
Several structural factors help explain South Carolina’s weak showing:
- Industry mix: South Carolina’s economy leans heavily on sectors like manufacturing, logistics and in-person services.
- Return-to-office culture: Across the country, many large companies have tightened work-from-home policies post-pandemic – and this trend is particularly pronounced in states like South Carolina that lack major remote-centric tech hubs.
- Policy environment: Local workplace rules and executive actions in the state – including telecommuting restrictions in certain public sectors – may further discourage flexible work arrangements.
Although other sources show rural parts of South Carolina already had comparatively low work-from-home rates even before the most recent analysis – with fewer than one in ten workers regularly working at home in 2023 – the JobLeads data underscores just how extreme the state’s remote-work drought has become relative to national norms.
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With so few positions fully remote – and most positions tied to physical workplaces – the Palmetto State’s labor landscape is a reminder that not all parts of the country are embracing the future of work equally.
As employers and policymakers weigh South Carolina’s economic strategy in a shifting job market, the state’s abysmal remote-work figures may become a flashpoint in discussions about workforce competitiveness and economic growth.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Erin Parrott is a Greenville, S.C. native who graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2025 with a bachelor degree in broadcast journalism. Got feedback or a tip for Erin? Email her here.
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4 comments
Well SC told Texas to hold its beer while it zoomed to #1 in measles outbreaks so there’s that.
Polio next? The vaccine panel chair says polio vaccine should be optional. Freedumb!
We certainly have the worst roads and drivers…. so, why would we possibly need more remote jobs?!
When being last makes first. Remote employees are dead last in productivity.
Didn’t McMaster push to make everyone in state government return to the office? As long as employees meet or exceed productivity while working from home, why screw with it? There are so many pluses to working from home, for the employer, the employee, or both. Working from home, you avoid the traffic rushes and associated jams, wrecks, wear and tear on your vehicle, gas consumption, and being late. You have access to your own bathroom, food, etc. You avoid the office jabberjaws who distract you from work. If you are sick and able to work, you don’t bring whatever you have in and share it with everyone else. Likewise, if someone who is sick comes to work (because they are inconsiderate or the job pressures them to come in), you don’t get it. How can that be bad for productivity?
If someone who is working from home shows signs of slacking off, make them come in for three, six months, or whatever before giving them another chance. Make them understand that this is a perk and if they don’t appreciate it, it can go away.
While some jobs necessarily require in-person participation, such as a window clerk; working from home should not be stopped for the sake of control-freakism for those whose jobs it is a fit for.