Data / Rankings / Job destruction rate / Counties in South Carolina

Counties in South Carolina by job destruction rate

Fairfield County had the highest job destruction rate of 46 counties in 2018, at 23.645%. Allendale County had the lowest, at 6.05%. The median was 10.17% and the figure for South Carolina was 11.288%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest23.645Fairfield County
Lowest6.05Allendale County
Median10.1746 counties
South Carolina11.288History

Map of counties, 2018

Abbeville County: 6.127 %Aiken County: 12.073 %Allendale County: 6.05 %Anderson County: 12.244 %Bamberg County: 8.941 %Barnwell County: 10.327 %Beaufort County: 10.902 %Berkeley County: 9.74 %Calhoun County: 8.85 %Charleston County: 11.343 %Cherokee County: 8.195 %Chester County: 9.755 %Chesterfield County: 7.383 %Clarendon County: 11.174 %Colleton County: 16.164 %Darlington County: 15.742 %Dillon County: 16.038 %Dorchester County: 13.408 %Edgefield County: 8.396 %Fairfield County: 23.645 %Florence County: 11.787 %Georgetown County: 8.996 %Greenville County: 13.288 %Greenwood County: 9.01 %Hampton County: 16.931 %Horry County: 12.414 %Jasper County: 13.507 %Kershaw County: 8.321 %Lancaster County: 8.668 %Laurens County: 8.353 %Lee County: 9.518 %Lexington County: 10.013 %McCormick County: 10.4 %Marion County: 8.122 %Marlboro County: 9.867 %Newberry County: 9.53 %Oconee County: 17.865 %Orangeburg County: 11.785 %Pickens County: 8.933 %Richland County: 10.608 %Saluda County: 8.493 %Spartanburg County: 8.296 %Sumter County: 9.612 %Union County: 14.068 %Williamsburg County: 11.66 %York County: 11.494 %
  • Under 8.4
  • 8.4 to 9
  • 9 to 10
  • 10 to 12
  • 12 to 13
  • 13 and over
%, 2018. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: job destruction rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2018

Fairfield County: 23.645 %Fairfield County23.645Oconee County: 17.865 %Oconee County17.865Hampton County: 16.931 %Hampton County16.931Colleton County: 16.164 %Colleton County16.164Dillon County: 16.038 %Dillon County16.038Darlington County: 15.742 %Darlington County15.742Union County: 14.068 %Union County14.068Jasper County: 13.507 %Jasper County13.507Dorchester County: 13.408 %Dorchester County13.408Greenville County: 13.288 %Greenville County13.288Horry County: 12.414 %Horry County12.414Anderson County: 12.244 %Anderson County12.244Aiken County: 12.073 %Aiken County12.073Florence County: 11.787 %Florence County11.787Orangeburg County: 11.785 %Orangeburg County11.785Williamsburg County: 11.66 %Williamsburg County11.66York County: 11.494 %York County11.494Charleston County: 11.343 %Charleston County11.343Clarendon County: 11.174 %Clarendon County11.174Beaufort County: 10.902 %Beaufort County10.902Richland County: 10.608 %Richland County10.608McCormick County: 10.4 %McCormick County10.4Barnwell County: 10.327 %Barnwell County10.327Lexington County: 10.013 %Lexington County10.013Marlboro County: 9.867 %Marlboro County9.867Chester County: 9.755 %Chester County9.755Berkeley County: 9.74 %Berkeley County9.74Sumter County: 9.612 %Sumter County9.612Newberry County: 9.53 %Newberry County9.53Lee County: 9.518 %Lee County9.518Greenwood County: 9.01 %Greenwood County9.01Georgetown County: 8.996 %Georgetown County8.996Bamberg County: 8.941 %Bamberg County8.941Pickens County: 8.933 %Pickens County8.933Calhoun County: 8.85 %Calhoun County8.85Lancaster County: 8.668 %Lancaster County8.668Saluda County: 8.493 %Saluda County8.493Edgefield County: 8.396 %Edgefield County8.396Laurens County: 8.353 %Laurens County8.353Kershaw County: 8.321 %Kershaw County8.321Spartanburg County: 8.296 %Spartanburg County8.296Cherokee County: 8.195 %Cherokee County8.195Marion County: 8.122 %Marion County8.122Chesterfield County: 7.383 %Chesterfield County7.383Abbeville County: 6.127 %Abbeville County6.127Allendale County: 6.05 %Allendale County6.05Fairfield County: 23.645 %Fairfield County23.645Oconee County: 17.865 %Oconee County17.865Hampton County: 16.931 %Hampton County16.931Colleton County: 16.164 %Colleton County16.164Dillon County: 16.038 %Dillon County16.038Darlington County: 15.742 %Darlington County15.742Union County: 14.068 %Union County14.068Jasper County: 13.507 %Jasper County13.507Dorchester County: 13.408 %Dorchester County13.408Greenville County: 13.288 %Greenville County13.288Horry County: 12.414 %Horry County12.414Anderson County: 12.244 %Anderson County12.244Aiken County: 12.073 %Aiken County12.073Florence County: 11.787 %Florence County11.787Orangeburg County: 11.785 %Orangeburg County11.785Williamsburg County: 11.66 %Williamsburg County11.66York County: 11.494 %York County11.494Charleston County: 11.343 %Charleston County11.343Clarendon County: 11.174 %Clarendon County11.174Beaufort County: 10.902 %Beaufort County10.902Richland County: 10.608 %Richland County10.608McCormick County: 10.4 %McCormick County10.4Barnwell County: 10.327 %Barnwell County10.327Lexington County: 10.013 %Lexington County10.013Marlboro County: 9.867 %Marlboro County9.867Chester County: 9.755 %Chester County9.755Berkeley County: 9.74 %Berkeley County9.74Sumter County: 9.612 %Sumter County9.612Newberry County: 9.53 %Newberry County9.53Lee County: 9.518 %Lee County9.518Greenwood County: 9.01 %Greenwood County9.01Georgetown County: 8.996 %Georgetown County8.996Bamberg County: 8.941 %Bamberg County8.941Pickens County: 8.933 %Pickens County8.933Calhoun County: 8.85 %Calhoun County8.85Lancaster County: 8.668 %Lancaster County8.668Saluda County: 8.493 %Saluda County8.493Edgefield County: 8.396 %Edgefield County8.396Laurens County: 8.353 %Laurens County8.353Kershaw County: 8.321 %Kershaw County8.321Spartanburg County: 8.296 %Spartanburg County8.296Cherokee County: 8.195 %Cherokee County8.195Marion County: 8.122 %Marion County8.122Chesterfield County: 7.383 %Chesterfield County7.383Abbeville County: 6.127 %Abbeville County6.127Allendale County: 6.05 %Allendale County6.05
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: job destruction rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2018 (%)Change on 2017
1Fairfield County23.645+15.68 pts
2Oconee County17.865+8.6 pts
3Hampton County16.931+4.46 pts
4Colleton County16.164+6.42 pts
5Dillon County16.038+0.61 pts
6Darlington County15.742+4.69 pts
7Union County14.068+5.32 pts
8Jasper County13.507+2.76 pts
9Dorchester County13.408+3.45 pts
10Greenville County13.288+2.37 pts
11Horry County12.414+0.8 pts
12Anderson County12.244+2.13 pts
13Aiken County12.073-2.87 pts
14Florence County11.787+2.33 pts
15Orangeburg County11.785-0.72 pts
16Williamsburg County11.66+1.92 pts
17York County11.494+1.53 pts
18Charleston County11.343+0.34 pts
19Clarendon County11.174-4.43 pts
20Beaufort County10.902-2.73 pts
21Richland County10.608-1.15 pts
22McCormick County10.4+0.21 pts
23Barnwell County10.327+5.79 pts
24Lexington County10.013-1.2 pts
25Marlboro County9.867-7.35 pts
26Chester County9.755+2.28 pts
27Berkeley County9.74-1.79 pts
28Sumter County9.612-3.46 pts
29Newberry County9.53-2.4 pts
30Lee County9.518-12.04 pts
31Greenwood County9.01-1.26 pts
32Georgetown County8.996-2.35 pts
33Bamberg County8.941-1.96 pts
34Pickens County8.933-7.24 pts
35Calhoun County8.85-8.55 pts
36Lancaster County8.668-5.08 pts
37Saluda County8.493+3.74 pts
38Edgefield County8.396-1.03 pts
39Laurens County8.353-1.34 pts
40Kershaw County8.321-6.07 pts
41Spartanburg County8.296-3.58 pts
42Cherokee County8.195-1.49 pts
43Marion County8.122-1.61 pts
44Chesterfield County7.383-0.48 pts
45Abbeville County6.127-19.32 pts
46Allendale County6.05-0.74 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Jobs lost at closing and shrinking establishments during the year, as a percentage of average employment in the two years. United States: Census Bureau Business Dynamics Statistics.

A gross flow: jobs added elsewhere are not subtracted, so the net change is job_creation_rate minus this rate. Not a layoff rate: it counts positions lost at establishments, not people who lost a job. The year is the twelve months to March: 2023 compares March 2022 with March 2023.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Business Dynamics Statistics: job destruction rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2025). Business Dynamics Statistics: job destruction rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010 (Counties in South Carolina by job destruction rate, 2018) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv

MLA 9

Business Dynamics Statistics: job destruction rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010, Counties in South Carolina by job destruction rate, 2018. U.S. Census Bureau, 25 Sept. 2025, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/job-destruction-rate/south-carolina-counties?period=2018. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2025. Business Dynamics Statistics: job destruction rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. Counties in South Carolina by job destruction rate, 2018. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/job-destruction-rate/south-carolina-counties?period=2018.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2025) Business Dynamics Statistics: job destruction rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010, Counties in South Carolina by job destruction rate, 2018 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/job-destruction-rate/south-carolina-counties?period=2018 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_south_carolina_2018,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Business Dynamics Statistics: job destruction rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010: Counties in South Carolina by job destruction rate, 2018}},
  year = {2025},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/job-destruction-rate/south-carolina-counties?period=2018. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Business Dynamics Statistics: job destruction rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023\_st\_cty.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - Business Dynamics Statistics: job destruction rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010: Counties in South Carolina by job destruction rate, 2018
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/09/25
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/job-destruction-rate/south-carolina-counties?period=2018
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/job-destruction-rate/south-carolina-counties?period=2018.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Business Dynamics Statistics: job destruction rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which county has the highest job destruction rate?

Fairfield County, with 23.645% in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest job destruction rate?

Allendale County, with 6.05% in 2018.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: job destruction rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Job destruction rate: other rankings

Counties in South Carolina: more rankings