Unemployment Rate Ticks Up in Pickens County

While the unemployment rate dipped on slightly in the state for the fourth consecutive month, Pickens County saw its numbers increase slightly.

According to statistics released Friday by the S.C. Department of Employment & Workforce (DEW), South Carolina's unemployment rate dropped to 8.3 percent in November from 8.6 percent in October.

In South Carolina, the number of unemployed people fell by 6,434 in November. The number of employed people rose by 9,758. And, the state's labor force ticked up slightly to 2.1 million people.

Pickens County's number jumped from 7.3 percent in October to 7.5 percent in November. More than 4,286 people in Pickens County currently are unemployed, according to DEW.

The county with the lowest rate in the state was Lexington County, at 6.3 percent. Marion  County had the state's highest rate, at 15.8 percent.

The national unemployment rate fell in November to 7.7 percent from October's 7.9 rate, after a 350,000 drop in the labor force.