South Carolina Records 2nd Fastest Employment Growth from March 2024 to March 2025

Lainey Stalnaker, Data Analytics Writer

In March of 2025, nonfarm payroll employment in South Carolina reached 2,400,000, an increase of 55,000 since March of 2024.[1] Only five other states—all with larger populations— added more jobs than South Carolina over the same period. 13,900 of these jobs were in education and health services. Professional and business services added 10,500 jobs, and construction added 7,800. 

Employment in South Carolina increased at a rate of 2.4 percent from March 2024 to March 2025, which was second only to Idaho. The fastest growing supersectors were construction, which increased employment by 6.7 percent, education and health services, up 4.7 percent, and financial services, up 3.9 percent.

Professional and business services; trade, transportation and utilities; and leisure and hospitality also increased employment. 

Overall, trade, transportation, and utilities had the highest employment in March of 2025 at 450,000, accounting for almost 20 percent of total employment in the state. 323,000 people were employed in professional and business services, and 311,000 people were employed in education and health services. The smallest supersectors by employment were construction (124,000), and financial activities (126,000), as shown in Figure 2. 

The latest employment data suggests that jobs are abundant in South Carolina. Widespread growth of opportunities for workers has facilitated rapid entry into the labor force, a signal of the state’s economic strength.  

[1] https://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.t03.htm