ROCK HILL --
Rock Hill unemployment rates dipped below 20 percent for the first time in 17 months in November - possibly the result of holiday employment, officials said.
Rock Hill's rate, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, was 19.8 percent in November - down from 24.3 percent a month earlier.
Statewide, South Carolina's unemployment rate posted a slight drop from 10.7 percent in October to 10.6 percent in November.
The state has the sixth-highest unemployment rate in the country, tied with Oregon.
The national jobless rate for November was 9.8 percent.
Regionally, however, the number of people without a job increased.
Chester, fourth-highest in the state, saw an increase of nearly one percentage point - from 16 percent to 16.9 percent. Lancaster, 10th-highest in the state, saw its rate jump from 14.2 to 15 percent. York County's unemployment rate increased from 13.2 percent to 13.9 percent.
Annie Reid, director of the Rock Hill Work Force Center, said seasonal hirings and layoffs likely affected the rates.
Another difficult-to-measure factor is people who have exhausted their unemployment benefits, she said.
While Congress recently extended unemployment benefits, the extension does not apply to those who already have received 99 weeks of benefits, said Clark Newsome, spokesman for the state Department of Employment and Workforce.
Some of the unemployed "are despondent and have given up," Reid said. "Some have been out of work for more than two years."
She said her office tries to help, but, "we don't want to give false hope."
University of South Carolina economists said this month that the state likely will have little or no job growth for the year and predicted only slight improvement next year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The national jobless rate for November was 9.8 percent.
Regionally, however, the number of people without a job increased.
Chester, fourth-highest in the state, saw an increase of nearly one percentage point - from 16 percent to 16.9 percent. Lancaster, 10th-highest in the state, saw its rate jump from 14.2 to 15 percent. York County's unemployment rate increased from 13.2 percent to 13.9 percent.
Annie Reid, director of the Rock Hill Work Force Center, said seasonal hirings and layoffs likely affected the rates.
Another difficult-to-measure factor is people who have exhausted their unemployment benefits, she said.
While Congress recently extended unemployment benefits, the extension does not apply to those who already have received 99 weeks of benefits, said Clark Newsome, spokesman for the state Department of Employment and Workforce.
Some of the unemployed "are despondent and have given up," Reid said. "Some have been out of work for more than two years."
She said her office tries to help, but, "we don't want to give false hope."
University of South Carolina economists said this month that the state likely will have little or no job growth for the year and predicted only slight improvement next year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Don Worthington 803-329-4066
Read more: http://www.heraldonline.com/2010/12/18/2700003/local-state-jobless-rates-dip.html#ixzz18TPXxqfy
