South Carolina’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate recorded the largest one-month decline since  1983, falling from 6.4 percent in July to 6.0 percent in August. This marked the rate’s third consecutive  monthly drop.    
Dillon County’s rate decreased to 8.4 percent, down from 9.0 percent the previous month.
Employment set a new record in August, increasing 2,771 to 2,113,743 people. Labor force shrank  marginally, down 5,139 to 2,249,028 people. The number of unemployed individuals decreased by 7,910  to 135,285 from July to August. This is the largest ever one-month drop in the data series since its  inception in 1976.    
From August 2014 to August 2015, the state s employment level increased by 58,987 people; the labor  force grew by 51,997; and the number of unemployed people decreased by 6,990.    
Nationally, the unemployment rate fell from 5.3 percent in July to 5.1 percent in August.       Nonagricultural Employment by Industry (Seasonally Adjusted 1 )     Seasonally adjusted, nonfarm payrolls increased from July to August by 4,300, to reach a record level of  2,007,900.       
—South Carolina s most notable increases occurred in Government (+1,400) and Manufacturing  (+1,000)  with  additional  gains  in  Other  Services  (+700);  Construction  (+600);  Financial  Activities (+400); Education and Health Services (+300); Leisure and Hospitality (+300); and  Professional and Business Services (+200).   
—Industries reporting losses were Information (-400) and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (200).    Compared to a year ago, seasonally adjusted, nonfarm jobs were up 58,400.   
—The industries with the largest increases were Professional and Business Services (+12,600);  Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (+12,400); Leisure and Hospitality (+11,300); Construction  (+7,500); Education and Health Services (+7,500); Government (+4,600); and Manufacturing  (+1,900).  
—Modest gains were seen in Information (+300); Other Services (+300); and Financial Activities  (+200).     Nonagricultural Employment by Industry (Not Seasonally Adjusted 2 )     The  not  seasonally  adjusted,  nonfarm  payroll  employment  in  August  reported  an  over-the-month  increase of 1,600 to a level of 2,005,100. Historically, employment has experienced growth during the  month of August as schools gear up for the semester. The rise in employment was due to increases in  Government (+2,800); Education and Health Services (+1,900); and Manufacturing (+1,200), along with  modest gains in Construction (+700) and Financial Activities (+100). The most significant losses were  reported in Leisure and Hospitality (-3,200); Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (-900); Information (600); Professional and Business Services (-600); and Other Services (-500).     Overall, from August 2014 to August 2015, not seasonally adjusted, nonfarm jobs were up 55,100.  Industries marking strong annual gains were Professional and Business Services (+13,300); Trade,  Transportation,  and  Utilities  (+11,500);  Leisure  and  Hospitality  (+11,100);  Construction  (+6,700);  Education  and  Health  Services  (+6,700);  Government  (+4,600);  and  Manufacturing  (+1,900).  Information (+200); Financial Activities (+200); and Other Services (+100) recorded smaller gains.  Natural Resources and Mining declined (-200).