Labor & Employment Data

Businesses and site selectors looking for reliable, up-to-date labor insights in the Charleston region have access to several authoritative state resources. The South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) publishes employment and unemployment statistics for the entire state, including county-level data and metropolitan statistical areas such as the Charleston-North Charleston MSA. These reports are updated regularly, with new data typically released at the end of each month, making them a dependable source for tracking workforce trends over time.

For more location-specific and business-focused analysis, the South Carolina Department of Commerce offers LocateSC. This platform offers not only a search of commercial properties but also detailed labor force information for counties across the Palmetto State, including job counts by industry, current and historical unemployment rates, and other workforce indicators commonly used in site selection and expansion decisions.

Together, DEW and LocateSC offer a clear, data-driven picture of labor availability, industry concentration, and workforce momentum in the Charleston region.

The Charleston region offers a deep and diverse labor force, with close to 460,000 people currently employed across a wide range of occupations supporting both corporate operations and fast-growing industries. The Charleston workforce reflects a mature regional economy, with strong concentrations in leadership, customer-facing roles, and operational support — giving employers immediate access to talent at every level of the organization.

• Executive, managers, and administrators: more than 40,000 employed, representing roughly 12% of the region’s workforce
• Sales occupations: approximately 38,000 workers supporting business development and customer engagement
• Office and administrative support: about 37,400 professionals providing essential organizational and operational functions

South Carolina Department of Commerce’s LocateSC platform can provide you with a more detailed look at occupational employment by city or county. Click below to access their customizable labor data reports and explore workforce insights specific to your location needs.

Yes! With direct access to talent pipelines and proven training programs, businesses can scale quickly in the Charleston region.

• Apprenticeship Carolina connects employers to earn-while-you-learn programs with more than 40 partner firms and over 55,000 apprenticeships since 2008.
• ReadySC delivers custom worker training and rapid onboarding for new facilities.
• SC Works Trident has job centers in North Charleston, Moncks Corner, and Summerville, providing candidate screening, training, and placement services.

Employers also benefit from community college partnerships, university research collaborators, and targeted upskilling initiatives that feed skilled workers into aerospace, automotive manufacturing, healthcare, IT, logistics, and life sciences roles.

If you’re hiring at scale, these resources reduce time-to-hire and training cost while improving retention — making growth more predictable and less risky. Reach out to local workforce partners to map a recruitment and training plan aligned to your industry needs.