OC’s jobless rate falls to 7.9%

Oconee County’s unemployment rate fell to 7.9% in March, from the February rate of 9%. The number of employed Oconeeans was 29,037 and the unemployed totaled 2,482. The Department of Employment and Workforce reported the state’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 8.4% in March from February’s 8.6%. Across the state unemployment numbers are at the lowest level since the recession period of October 2008. As is the usual case, Oconee’s South Carolina neighbors report smaller unemployment percentages: 7.3% in Anderson and 6.7% in Pickens.