South Carolina’s unemployment rate equaled its record high in Jan at 12.6 percent, and jobless numbers went upward in all of the state’s fouthy-six counties, based on data published Wednesday.

The Employment Security Commission likewise modified December’s rate down slightly to 12.4 percent. That month’s unemployment had been initially calculated at 12.6 pct, a state record high South Carolina matched in Jan.

The state’s unemployment value was effectively on top of the actual nationwide rate, which dipped to 9.7 % in Jan. Across the country, South Carolina’s lack of employment rate graded fourth in back of Michigan, Nevada and Rhode Island.

The number of South Carolina’s jobless increased by about 4,600 to more than 273,000 people, also setting a state record high. As short-term staff were released following a holiday purchasing period, the retail market chopped 7,700 jobs in Jan.

Manufacturing showed minor change from Dec, although that field has lost greater than 20,thousand jobs in the state over the last year or so.

Allendale and Marion counties tied for that state’s greatest rate, at 24.3 %. Joblessness had been lowest in Lexington County, at 9.4 %.

Economists reported last thirty days the state’s chronically substantial joblessness rate may top 13 % before it sets out to increase.

State lawmakers have been mulling plans to put South Carolina’s problem-plagued unemployment benefits agency under the governor’s management. Previous thirty day period, the Senate awarded final consent with an overhaul of the Employment Security Commission, placing this organization directly into Gov. Mark Sanford’s Cabinet, renaming it the Workforce Department and allowing the governor to appoint the director. The House and Senate have yet to agree on a final version.

On Wednesday, a consultant was briefing a Senate committee on what the restructuring could cost.

As part of that debate, legislators discussed a state audit showed that the Commission didn’t pay the government the income tax it withheld from jobless benefits for months last year and faced nearly $1 million in penalties.

The delinquency brought a $900,000 state penalty plus $50,000 in interest. The state Revenue Department forgave the $900,000 levy and half the interest, but required the commission to pay $25,000 in interest

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