3,179 neighbors struggling with unemployment
Last Updated on 3/14/2010
Published on 10/22/2009
At least 3,719 people are now unemployed in Georgetown County.That's according to figures from the S.C. Employment Security Commission, which said the unemployment rate in Georgetown County rose from 12.0 to 12.5 percent since August.
That means about 100 more people are out of work than when the last numbers were released in August.
At that time, 3,624 people were unemployed.
"It has not gone this high since I've been with the agency, and that's nine years,'' said Bill Powell, assistant director of the Georgetown office of the S.C. Employment Security Commission.
The rate jumped dramatically after seasonal workers were let go from their jobs in the fall, Powell said.
He doesn't expect the numbers to improve, since the Georgetown steel mill remains closed and the number of visitors coming to the Georgetown County area will remain down for several more months.
"Watching the news, and what I read in the papers, they said 2010 is still going to be tough,'' Powell said.
The ESC office is seeing a "steady flow,'' of people, Powell said.
He does not know what will happen when the General Assembly reconvenes next week to vote on extending unemployment benefits.
The General Assembly is set to convene next week to restore extended unemployment benefits. The benefits were lost due to a recent oversight in passing reform legislation.
"It's going to be interesting what happens next Tuesday,'' he said. "I kind of think that they will fix the problem. I think if they were going to vote it down, it wouldn't have been so quick to go back."
Dismal forecast
Economists say that the recession is far from over in South Carolina and in Georgetown County.
Nearby Williamsburg County now has an unemployment rate of 15.4 percent, which makes them 17th highest in the state.
The counties of Allendale, Chester, Marion and Marlboro now have unemployment rates above 20 percent, Powell said.
"They were all above 20 percent last month also," Powell said.
South Carolina's unemployment rate is now 11.6, which is the fifth highest rate in the country, Powell said. The state's unemployment rate was 11.4 percent in August.
Don Schunk, a research economist at Coastal Carolina University, said the numbers show the true picture of what is happening in South Carolina.
"Even with the slight increase in September, the state's official unemployment rate continues to understate the severity of the unemployment and underemployment problems we face,'' he said.
He said the numbers are "consistent with the ongoing weakening of South Carolina's labor markets.
"September's increase provides a clearer image of the underlying state of our economy,'' he said.
"Because these households also represent consumers, the true unemployment and underemployment conditions also suggest ongoing weakness for consumer spending."
Some decreases
Some counties did show slight decreases in unemployment figures.
This could be due to some job openings in those counties or the fact that people have dropped off the unemployment statistics.
Many people have already used all the benefits available to them and are no longer counted among the unemployed in South Carolina.
Powell said those who could still qualify for extended benefits will be notified after the General Assembly meets next week.
"Until the legislature actually does something, we don't know how we're going to handle that," he said.
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Lol Wayne is so full of misinformation. The stimulus is only creating debt. Boeing is just trying to escape the unions choke hold in washington. Look at the polls Wayne, Obamanomics is failing and the people are catching on. Posted by on 11/2/2009 |
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GTown Patriot sounds like you took the words out of Sean Hannity and Rush Limburger's mouth. You got an more of their nonsense to amuse me with? Thank the Fed for helping you live healthy and freely. DOD and HHS and other agencies are your friend. Posted by Wayne on 11/1/2009 |
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THIS IS JUST LIKE A RECESSIONAL PERIOD HERE IN 2009. I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS MUCH PEOPLE OUT OF WORK LIKE THIS. THE BEST SUGGESTION FOR THE ONES WHO ARE UNEMPLOYED IS TO PRAY AND KEEP SEARCHING. IT IS EXTREMELY HARD TO BE OUT OF WORK FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME. IT MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE NOT A PART OF THIS SOCIETY. Posted by on 10/30/2009 |
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Another tax and spend liberal. What happens when you run out of other people's money? Name one thing the Government has ever fixed! I can name you a million that they screwed up. I suspect you work in the public sector, as no one in the real world could be so naive. Posted by GTown Patriot on 10/30/2009 |
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Dr. Ben Dare; I'm glad Boeing is coming to Charleston. I'm glad workers are happy with jobs from the stimulus. I'm glad researchers and developers are happy with the pursuit of new technology from the stimulus. Do not disregard the need for infrastructure repair projects. The next time a bridge collapses remember this post. I agree Sanford is bad. He has reduced SC to a level where voters simply can't be taken seriously. "Hiking the Appalachian trail"?. C'mon man. Posted by Wayne on 10/29/2009 |
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Wayne old buddy, Did you happen to notice that our bad bad Governor teamed with the great employees of Boeing in N. Charleston throwing out the UNION, has just snagged the NEW BOEING plant for SC. This will add over 3000 PRIVATE SECTOR jobs? Want to compare for us these jobs vs the street paving jobs created by the trillion dollar obama porkulus package? While I'm not real thrilled with his "love life", I'm real happen with Boeing. Posted by Dr. Ben Dare on 10/29/2009 |
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These are weird times. In some places there is no work and other places too much work (federal healthcare and company's that contract with such agencies). Times will be tough for awhile but things will eventually get better. Nobody can honestly point fingers at stimulus versus doing nothing. If Obama did nothing then the mill would have still closed (as well as any business that depended on credit) and even more folks would have been unemployed. Some say "but our children will have to pay for it". True. Sort of. But If the Georgetown County unemployment rate rose to 20% the last thing any of you would think is who will pay for the mass capital infusion needed to get your life back on course. Thank your narcissistic Governor for wasting tax dollars goofing off and for denying SC early access to the stimulus. Many sandlappers are "proud" and broke -- thanks to him. Posted by wayne on 10/26/2009 |
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FYI the government state or federal does not create jobs! Think about it. For the state or government to create jobs someone, (i.e. taxpayers) have to pay more taxes which means taxpayers have less money to employ people at their businesses. The government is a giant leach on the back of taxpayers. Furthermore, I cannot understand why you believe politicians on the left or right. They spend their entire lives lying to people. Posted by Vince Foster on 10/25/2009 |
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Are you serious? The stimulus is not working. Hmmm. The stock market is going up. Is Chairman MaObama is creating asset bubbles with his monetary policy? How is that Keynesian economic theory working out for the unemployed? Actually, Obamanomics is working at a faster pace than anyone could have imagined. Trickle up poverty will soon have each of us in its grasp. Then we will be like the rest of his union friends sitting around waiting on a welfare check to show up in the mailbox, totally dependent on the state for everything. Posted by Chairman MaObama on 10/25/2009 |
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Does anyone remember a few years ago a Republican running to be re-elected as governor made promises to increase jobs in our state? Was the governor anywhere close by when unemployment reports are released? Maybe the South America trips were meant to get him "out of town" when bad news was released. Posted by on 10/24/2009 |
