Counties in South Carolina by unemployment rate

Williamsburg County had the highest unemployment rate of 46 counties in November 2025, at 8.9%. Charleston County had the lowest, at 4%. The median was 5.45% and the figure for South Carolina was 4.8%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Median5.4546 counties
South Carolina4.8History

All counties, November 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

Williamsburg CountyWilliamsburg County: 8.9 %8.9Marlboro CountyMarlboro County: 8.6 %8.6Clarendon CountyClarendon County: 7.4 %7.4Orangeburg CountyOrangeburg County: 7.4 %7.4Allendale CountyAllendale County: 7.3 %7.3Marion CountyMarion County: 7.3 %7.3Bamberg CountyBamberg County: 7.1 %7.1Union CountyUnion County: 7 %7Lee CountyLee County: 6.8 %6.8Dillon CountyDillon County: 6.6 %6.6Barnwell CountyBarnwell County: 6.5 %6.5Cherokee CountyCherokee County: 6.4 %6.4Chester CountyChester County: 6.4 %6.4McCormick CountyMcCormick County: 6.2 %6.2Sumter CountySumter County: 6.2 %6.2Georgetown CountyGeorgetown County: 6.1 %6.1Chesterfield CountyChesterfield County: 6 %6Horry CountyHorry County: 5.9 %5.9Colleton CountyColleton County: 5.8 %5.8Darlington CountyDarlington County: 5.8 %5.8Fairfield CountyFairfield County: 5.8 %5.8Greenwood CountyGreenwood County: 5.8 %5.8Hampton CountyHampton County: 5.6 %5.6Abbeville CountyAbbeville County: 5.3 %5.3Florence CountyFlorence County: 5.3 %5.3Lancaster CountyLancaster County: 5.3 %5.3Laurens CountyLaurens County: 5.3 %5.3Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 5.2 %5.2York CountyYork County: 5.1 %5.1Jasper CountyJasper County: 5 %5Kershaw CountyKershaw County: 5 %5Richland CountyRichland County: 5 %5Spartanburg CountySpartanburg County: 5 %5Aiken CountyAiken County: 4.9 %4.9Newberry CountyNewberry County: 4.8 %4.8Oconee CountyOconee County: 4.8 %4.8Pickens CountyPickens County: 4.8 %4.8Beaufort CountyBeaufort County: 4.7 %4.7Anderson CountyAnderson County: 4.6 %4.6Saluda CountySaluda County: 4.6 %4.6Berkeley CountyBerkeley County: 4.4 %4.4Dorchester CountyDorchester County: 4.4 %4.4Edgefield CountyEdgefield County: 4.3 %4.3Greenville CountyGreenville County: 4.3 %4.3Lexington CountyLexington County: 4.3 %4.3Charleston CountyCharleston County: 4 %4
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesNovember 2025 (%)Change on November 2024
1Williamsburg County8.9+2.4 pts
2Marlboro County8.6+1.4 pts
3Clarendon County7.4+1.7 pts
3Orangeburg County7.4+1.2 pts
5Allendale County7.3+1.7 pts
5Marion County7.3+1.3 pts
7Bamberg County7.1+1.2 pts
8Union County7+1 pts
9Lee County6.8+0.1 pts
10Dillon County6.6+0.2 pts
11Barnwell County6.5+1 pts
12Cherokee County6.4+0.7 pts
12Chester County6.4+0.5 pts
14McCormick County6.2+1 pts
14Sumter County6.2+0.7 pts
16Georgetown County6.1+1.4 pts
17Chesterfield County6+1.3 pts
18Horry County5.9+1 pts
19Colleton County5.8+1 pts
19Darlington County5.8+0.9 pts
19Fairfield County5.8+0.7 pts
19Greenwood County5.8+0.5 pts
23Hampton County5.6+1.8 pts
24Abbeville County5.3+0.9 pts
24Florence County5.3+0.8 pts
24Lancaster County5.3+0.8 pts
24Laurens County5.3+0.8 pts
28Calhoun County5.2+0.8 pts
29York County5.1+0.8 pts
30Jasper County5+0.9 pts
30Kershaw County5+0.9 pts
30Richland County5+0.5 pts
30Spartanburg County5+0.7 pts
34Aiken County4.9+0.8 pts
35Newberry County4.8+0.6 pts
35Oconee County4.8+0.9 pts
35Pickens County4.8+0.7 pts
38Beaufort County4.7+0.8 pts
39Anderson County4.6+0.8 pts
39Saluda County4.6+1 pts
41Berkeley County4.4+0.6 pts
41Dorchester County4.4+0.6 pts
43Edgefield County4.3+0.7 pts
43Greenville County4.3+0.5 pts
43Lexington County4.3+0.7 pts
46Charleston County4+0.6 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Unemployed people as a percentage of the labour force, using the survey definition of unemployment: without work, available and looking for work. Spain: EPA, aged 16 and over. EU: Labour Force Survey, aged 15 to 74. United States: civilian labour force aged 16 and over, from the Current Population Survey for the nation and from BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics models, consistent with that survey, for states and counties. Other countries and the World: ILO modelled estimates published by the World Bank, aged 15 and over.

Survey-based. Available for Spain, regions, provinces, EU countries, US states and US counties, not Spanish municipalities. For municipalities use registered_unemployment_rate. US national and state rates are seasonally adjusted; county rates are not. Countries without a national or Eurostat series get the annual ILO modelled estimate, a model output rather than a survey result.

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. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest unemployment rate?

Williamsburg County, with 8.9% in November 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Charleston County, with 4% in November 2025.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Unemployment rate: other rankings

Counties in South Carolina: more rankings