Commenting on those jobless numbers

The chief economic development recruiter for Oconee County recognizes that a jobless rate above 6% is a sign that the county still has work to do. But Richard Blackwell says the county’s labor participation number of 30,053 is the highest since 2001 when, according to the Department of Employment and Workforce, the number was 30,168. And it prompts Blackwell to say: “….our county is not seeing what many like to use as an argument -> unemployment rate drops due to people leaving the workforce. Oconee,” he said, “is the opposite to a degree as the unemployment rate is dropping from recession highs but also more people are working in Oconee County.”