South Carolina unemployment rate falls again to 4.3 percent

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - South Carolina’s unemployment rate continues to fall to levels not seen in 16 years.

The Department of Employment and Workforce said Monday that South Carolina’s unemployment rate in December was 4.3 percent, down from 4.4 percent in November.

South Carolina’s unemployment rate hasn’t been that low since early 2001, when it started an almost steady climb upward to 11.7 percent by the start of 2010.

The agency says about 2.2 million people are working in South Carolina, with the number of people looking for a job dropping to 99,000 people.

Marion County had the state’s highest unemployment rate at 7.7 percent, while Charleston and Lexington counties had the lowest rates in December at 3.3 percent.