From June 2024 to September 2024, gross job gains from opening and expanding private-sector establishments in South Carolina were 119,795, while gross job losses from closing and contracting private-sector establishments were 112,487, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee noted that the difference between the number of gross job gains and the number of gross job losses yielded a net employment gain of 7,308 jobs in the private sector during the third quarter of 2024. (See table 1.) During the previous quarter, gross job losses exceeded gross job gains by 8,916. (See chart 1.)

The change in the number of jobs over time is the net result of increases and decreases in employment that occur at all private businesses in the economy. Business Employment Dynamics (BED) statistics track these changes in employment at private-sector establishments from the third month of one quarter to the third month of the next. The difference between the number of gross job gains and the number of gross job losses is the net change in employment. (See the Business Employment Dynamics Technical Note.)

Gross job gains

In the third quarter of 2024, gross job gains represented 6.2 percent of private-sector employment in South Carolina; nationally, gross job gains accounted for 5.8 percent of private-sector employment. (See chart 2.) Gross job gains are the sum of increases in employment due to expansions at existing establishments and the addition of new jobs at opening establishments. In South Carolina, gross job gains at expanding establishments totaled 98,658 in the third quarter of 2024, an increase of 10,034 jobs compared to the previous quarter. Opening establishments accounted for 21,137 jobs gained in the third quarter of 2024, a decrease of 4,263 jobs from the previous quarter.

Gross job losses

In the third quarter of 2024, gross job losses represented 5.9 percent of private-sector employment in South Carolina; nationally, gross job losses accounted for 5.8 percent of private-sector employment. (See chart 3.) Gross job losses are the result of contractions in employment at existing establishments and the loss of jobs at closing establishments. In South Carolina, contracting establishments lost 91,653 jobs in the third quarter of 2024, a decrease of 5,782 jobs from the prior quarter. Closing establishments lost 20,834 jobs, a decrease of 4,671 jobs from the previous quarter.

Industries

Gross job gains exceeded gross job losses in 7 of the 11 published industry sectors in South Carolina in the third quarter of 2024. Professional and business services had the largest over-the-quarter net job increase, with a gain of 6,668 jobs. This was the result of 28,377 gross job gains and 21,709 gross job losses. The education and health services industry had a net gain of 2,114 jobs. Manufacturing showed a net loss of 1,773 jobs, the largest loss of any sector in the state. South Carolina’s leisure and hospitality industry sector had a net loss of 1,242 jobs.

For more information

The BED data series include gross job gains and gross job losses by industry subsector, for the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, as well as gross job gains and gross job losses at the firm level by employer size class. BED data for the states have been included in table 2 of this release. Additional information is available online at the Business Employment Dynamics homepage and the Business Employment Dynamics Summary.

The Business Employment Dynamics for Fourth Quarter 2024 are scheduled to be released on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

Technical Note

The Business Employment Dynamics (BED) data are a product of a federal-state cooperative program known as Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW). The BED data are compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) from existing QCEW records.

More information on formal definitions of the data used in this release, along with coverage, concepts, and methodology, can be found in the Business Employment Dynamics Technical Note.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

Table 1. Private-sector gross job gains and losses by industry, South Carolina, seasonally adjusted

Category	Gross job gains and losses (3 months ended)					Gross job gains and losses as a percent of employment (3 months ended)
	Sept. 2023	Dec. 2023	Mar. 2024	June 2024	Sept. 2024	Sept. 2023	Dec. 2023	Mar. 2024	June 2024	Sept. 2024
Total private (1)
Gross job gains	124,869	118,122	123,861	114,024	119,795	6.6	6.2	6.4	5.9	6.2
At expanding establishments	94,869	93,022	96,384	88,624	98,658	5.0	4.9	5.0	4.6	5.1
At opening establishments	30,000	25,100	27,477	25,400	21,137	1.6	1.3	1.4	1.3	1.1
Gross job losses	106,590	100,598	120,378	122,940	112,487	5.7	5.3	6.3	6.4	5.9
At contracting establishments	86,569	81,264	93,940	97,435	91,653	4.6	4.3	4.9	5.1	4.8
At closing establishments	20,021	19,334	26,438	25,505	20,834	1.1	1.0	1.4	1.3	1.1
Net employment change (2)	18,279	17,524	3,483	-8,916	7,308	0.9	0.9	0.1	-0.5	0.3
Construction
Gross job gains	8,997	7,726	8,476	8,761	8,087	8.0	6.7	7.3	7.5	6.8
At expanding establishments	6,392	5,764	6,492	6,783	6,554	5.7	5.0	5.6	5.8	5.5
At opening establishments	2,605	1,962	1,984	1,978	1,533	2.3	1.7	1.7	1.7	1.3
Gross job losses	7,181	6,067	7,786	7,328	7,865	6.4	5.3	6.7	6.3	6.6
At contracting establishments	5,522	4,661	5,711	5,344	6,145	4.9	4.1	4.9	4.6	5.2
At closing establishments	1,659	1,406	2,075	1,984	1,720	1.5	1.2	1.8	1.7	1.4
Net employment change (2)	1,816	1,659	690	1,433	222	1.6	1.4	0.6	1.2	0.2
Manufacturing
Gross job gains	7,924	7,641	10,135	9,026	6,662	3.0	2.9	3.8	3.4	2.5
At expanding establishments	7,124	6,657	8,431	7,648	6,415	2.7	2.5	3.2	2.9	2.4
At opening establishments	800	984	1,704	1,378	247	0.3	0.4	0.6	0.5	0.1
Gross job losses	7,542	8,134	8,461	8,136	8,435	2.8	3.1	3.2	3.1	3.2
At contracting establishments	6,901	7,277	6,720	6,833	7,407	2.6	2.8	2.5	2.6	2.8
At closing establishments	641	857	1,741	1,303	1,028	0.2	0.3	0.7	0.5	0.4
Net employment change (2)	382	-493	1,674	890	-1,773	0.2	-0.2	0.6	0.3	-0.7
Wholesale trade
Gross job gains	3,977	4,298	4,378	4,218	3,190	4.8	5.2	5.3	5.1	3.8
At expanding establishments	3,098	3,322	3,319	3,241	2,771	3.7	4.0	4.0	3.9	3.3
At opening establishments	879	976	1,059	977	419	1.1	1.2	1.3	1.2	0.5
Gross job losses	3,170	3,781	3,952	3,847	3,511	3.8	4.5	4.8	4.6	4.2
At contracting establishments	2,639	2,862	2,808	2,957	2,817	3.2	3.4	3.4	3.5	3.4
At closing establishments	531	919	1,144	890	694	0.6	1.1	1.4	1.1	0.8
Net employment change (2)	807	517	426	371	-321	1.0	0.7	0.5	0.5	-0.4
Retail trade
Gross job gains	13,534	13,467	15,540	14,558	14,515	5.1	5.1	5.8	5.4	5.3
At expanding establishments	11,112	10,939	13,220	11,880	12,786	4.2	4.1	4.9	4.4	4.7
At opening establishments	2,422	2,528	2,320	2,678	1,729	0.9	1.0	0.9	1.0	0.6
Gross job losses	13,985	13,015	13,664	14,558	15,422	5.3	4.9	5.1	5.4	5.7
At contracting establishments	12,183	11,173	11,525	12,443	13,542	4.6	4.2	4.3	4.6	5.0
At closing establishments	1,802	1,842	2,139	2,115	1,880	0.7	0.7	0.8	0.8	0.7
Net employment change (2)	-451	452	1,876	0	-907	-0.2	0.2	0.7	0.0	-0.4
Transportation and warehousing
Gross job gains	4,512	6,557	4,127	4,308	4,809	5.6	8.0	5.1	5.4	6.0
At expanding establishments	3,584	5,658	3,178	3,448	4,424	4.4	6.9	3.9	4.3	5.5
At opening establishments	928	899	949	860	385	1.2	1.1	1.2	1.1	0.5
Gross job losses	4,314	3,886	6,023	6,086	3,912	5.4	4.7	7.3	7.6	4.8
At contracting establishments	3,597	3,295	5,304	5,117	3,253	4.5	4.0	6.4	6.4	4.0
At closing establishments	717	591	719	969	659	0.9	0.7	0.9	1.2	0.8
Net employment change (2)	198	2,671	-1,896	-1,778	897	0.2	3.3	-2.2	-2.2	1.2
Information
Gross job gains	1,711	1,915	1,424	1,787	1,560	5.9	6.7	5.0	6.3	5.4
At expanding establishments	1,181	1,375	1,080	1,157	1,214	4.1	4.8	3.8	4.1	4.2
At opening establishments	530	540	344	630	346	1.8	1.9	1.2	2.2	1.2
Gross job losses	1,659	1,792	2,015	1,572	1,517	5.7	6.2	7.1	5.6	5.3
At contracting establishments	1,217	1,321	1,469	1,100	1,057	4.2	4.6	5.2	3.9	3.7
At closing establishments	442	471	546	472	460	1.5	1.6	1.9	1.7	1.6
Net employment change (2)	52	123	-591	215	43	0.2	0.5	-2.1	0.7	0.1
Financial activities
Gross job gains	6,734	6,447	6,509	6,356	6,666	5.7	5.5	5.5	5.4	5.6
At expanding establishments	4,829	4,770	4,748	4,442	5,241	4.1	4.1	4.0	3.8	4.4
At opening establishments	1,905	1,677	1,761	1,914	1,425	1.6	1.4	1.5	1.6	1.2
Gross job losses	5,150	5,387	7,815	5,478	5,918	4.4	4.6	6.6	4.7	5.0
At contracting establishments	3,987	3,895	5,676	3,886	4,561	3.4	3.3	4.8	3.3	3.9
At closing establishments	1,163	1,492	2,139	1,592	1,357	1.0	1.3	1.8	1.4	1.1
Net employment change (2)	1,584	1,060	-1,306	878	748	1.3	0.9	-1.1	0.7	0.6
Professional and business services
Gross job gains	27,056	21,811	24,628	21,411	28,377	8.7	7.0	7.9	7.0	9.0
At expanding establishments	20,294	16,641	19,207	15,987	22,971	6.5	5.3	6.2	5.2	7.3
At opening establishments	6,762	5,170	5,421	5,424	5,406	2.2	1.7	1.7	1.8	1.7
Gross job losses	23,212	22,600	23,684	28,632	21,709	7.5	7.2	7.6	9.3	6.9
At contracting establishments	17,924	17,487	17,676	22,169	17,210	5.8	5.6	5.7	7.2	5.5
At closing establishments	5,288	5,113	6,008	6,463	4,499	1.7	1.6	1.9	2.1	1.4
Net employment change (2)	3,844	-789	944	-7,221	6,668	1.2	-0.2	0.3	-2.3	2.1
Education and health services
Gross job gains	16,037	14,606	15,821	16,988	16,042	6.1	5.4	5.8	6.1	5.7
At expanding establishments	12,168	11,415	12,718	13,301	12,281	4.6	4.2	4.7	4.8	4.4
At opening establishments	3,869	3,191	3,103	3,687	3,761	1.5	1.2	1.1	1.3	1.3
Gross job losses	11,934	10,728	13,937	12,145	13,928	4.5	4.0	5.1	4.4	5.0
At contracting establishments	9,304	8,309	10,583	9,090	11,459	3.5	3.1	3.9	3.3	4.1
At closing establishments	2,630	2,419	3,354	3,055	2,469	1.0	0.9	1.2	1.1	0.9
Net employment change (2)	4,103	3,878	1,884	4,843	2,114	1.6	1.4	0.7	1.7	0.7
Leisure and hospitality
Gross job gains	27,590	26,939	26,524	21,167	24,060	10.0	9.6	9.2	7.5	8.6
At expanding establishments	20,425	21,646	19,519	16,982	19,300	7.4	7.7	6.8	6.0	6.9
At opening establishments	7,165	5,293	7,005	4,185	4,760	2.6	1.9	2.4	1.5	1.7
Gross job losses	23,683	20,356	26,614	28,658	25,302	8.6	7.2	9.3	10.1	9.1
At contracting establishments	19,830	17,297	21,670	23,779	20,237	7.2	6.1	7.6	8.4	7.3
At closing establishments	3,853	3,059	4,944	4,879	5,065	1.4	1.1	1.7	1.7	1.8
Net employment change (2)	3,907	6,583	-90	-7,491	-1,242	1.4	2.4	-0.1	-2.6	-0.5
Other services (3)
Gross job gains	5,173	5,037	4,703	4,386	4,426	9.0	8.4	7.8	7.4	7.2
At expanding establishments	3,398	3,543	3,188	3,000	3,501	5.9	5.9	5.3	5.1	5.7
At opening establishments	1,775	1,494	1,515	1,386	925	3.1	2.5	2.5	2.3	1.5
Gross job losses	3,764	3,601	4,968	4,889	3,984	6.5	6.0	8.3	8.2	6.5
At contracting establishments	2,768	2,623	3,615	3,411	3,121	4.8	4.4	6.0	5.7	5.1
At closing establishments	996	978	1,353	1,478	863	1.7	1.6	2.3	2.5	1.4
Net employment change (2)	1,409	1,436	-265	-503	442	2.5	2.4	-0.5	-0.8	0.7
Footnotes: (1) Includes unclassified sector not shown separately. (2) The net employment change is the difference between total gross job gains and total gross job losses. See the Technical Note for further information. (3) Except public administration.

Table 2. Private-sector gross job gains and losses as a percent of total employment by state, seasonally adjusted

Category	Gross job gains as a percent of employment (3 months ended)					Gross job losses as a percent of employment (3 months ended)
	Sept. 2023	Dec. 2023	Mar. 2024	June 2024	Sept. 2024	Sept. 2023	Dec. 2023	Mar. 2024	June 2024	Sept. 2024
United States(1)	5.9	6.0	5.7	5.8	5.8	6.0	5.7	5.4	5.9	5.8
Alabama	6.0	6.2	5.7	5.6	5.7	6.0	5.7	5.5	5.6	5.9
Alaska	8.5	10.2	10.5	10.2	7.9	10.5	9.9	8.6	9.6	9.7
Arizona	6.8	6.5	8.4	5.6	6.3	5.7	6.6	6.4	6.8	6.5
Arkansas	5.6	6.2	5.6	5.2	5.2	5.8	5.0	5.2	5.8	5.2
California	6.4	6.4	5.8	6.1	6.4	6.5	6.4	5.6	6.8	6.1
Colorado	5.4	8.2	6.4	6.5	6.3	6.1	7.6	7.7	6.2	6.7
Connecticut	5.8	5.6	5.6	5.8	5.5	6.2	5.7	5.2	5.6	5.7
Delaware	6.0	6.1	6.0	5.9	6.8	6.5	5.8	5.1	6.5	6.4
District of Columbia	5.4	5.2	5.1	5.1	4.9	5.4	5.6	4.9	6.0	5.0
Florida	6.5	6.1	5.8	6.0	6.6	5.9	5.9	5.4	5.9	5.7
Georgia	6.1	6.2	6.0	5.7	5.7	6.1	5.7	5.7	5.7	6.1
Hawaii	5.3	6.1	5.4	5.1	5.6	6.8	5.0	5.1	5.4	5.0
Idaho	7.2	8.5	7.9	7.5	7.2	7.9	5.8	8.3	7.4	7.6
Illinois	4.8	5.0	5.1	5.2	5.0	5.3	5.1	4.8	5.3	5.1
Indiana	5.7	5.5	5.3	5.2	5.3	5.7	5.1	5.0	5.5	5.4
Iowa	5.6	6.1	6.1	5.5	5.2	5.8	5.7	5.6	5.7	6.0
Kansas	5.7	5.8	5.7	5.8	5.3	6.0	5.3	5.6	5.7	5.6
Kentucky	5.7	5.7	5.7	5.2	5.4	5.6	5.2	5.0	5.9	5.5
Louisiana	6.2	6.3	6.2	5.7	6.1	6.0	5.8	5.7	6.3	5.8
Maine	7.0	7.4	7.2	7.3	6.2	7.8	7.0	6.1	7.0	7.0
Maryland	6.3	6.2	5.8	7.2	6.1	6.4	5.8	5.7	6.5	6.1
Massachusetts	5.4	5.5	5.2	5.7	4.9	5.9	5.5	5.1	5.6	5.8
Michigan	5.2	5.5	5.4	5.7	5.4	5.9	5.5	5.2	5.6	5.8
Minnesota	3.3	6.9	5.8	5.7	5.1	4.3	6.9	5.7	5.4	5.9
Mississippi	6.2	6.1	5.7	5.8	6.1	6.2	5.7	6.1	6.3	5.7
Missouri	5.6	6.0	5.7	5.6	5.5	5.8	5.6	5.3	5.8	5.8
Montana	7.7	8.8	8.1	7.9	7.3	8.4	7.2	7.5	7.6	8.1
Nebraska	6.0	5.9	5.8	5.4	5.6	5.9	5.7	5.1	5.6	5.6
Nevada	6.5	6.7	5.9	5.8	6.1	5.6	5.4	6.2	5.7	5.9
New Hampshire	5.8	6.2	6.5	6.1	5.5	6.7	5.9	5.8	6.0	6.7
New Jersey	6.0	5.9	5.5	5.9	5.3	6.0	5.8	5.4	5.4	5.8
New Mexico	6.4	6.9	6.0	6.0	6.2	6.8	5.8	6.0	6.3	6.3
New York	5.8	5.7	5.9	5.9	5.6	6.0	5.6	5.0	5.5	5.7
North Carolina	5.7	6.3	5.4	5.6	5.6	6.1	4.9	5.5	5.7	6.1
North Dakota	6.6	6.7	6.9	6.6	6.5	6.6	6.3	6.1	6.6	6.6
Ohio	5.2	5.4	5.5	5.2	5.1	5.6	5.2	4.8	5.4	5.4
Oklahoma	6.3	6.1	5.6	5.6	6.0	6.0	5.8	5.2	6.4	5.6
Oregon	6.1	6.2	6.4	6.0	6.3	6.7	6.2	6.1	6.4	6.6
Pennsylvania	5.2	5.2	5.1	4.9	5.1	5.1	4.8	4.6	5.1	5.1
Rhode Island	6.4	6.8	6.9	6.6	6.2	6.7	6.3	5.7	6.7	6.5
South Carolina	6.6	6.2	6.4	5.9	6.2	5.7	5.3	6.3	6.4	5.9
South Dakota	6.3	6.6	6.3	6.0	5.9	6.3	5.8	5.8	6.3	5.9
Tennessee	5.6	6.2	5.5	5.5	5.6	5.7	5.5	4.9	5.7	5.8
Texas	5.7	5.7	5.4	5.4	5.6	5.5	5.2	5.1	5.3	5.3
Utah	6.9	6.6	6.7	6.4	6.6	6.6	6.5	6.0	6.6	6.1
Vermont	6.4	7.3	7.2	6.6	6.6	7.9	6.6	6.3	7.5	7.3
Virginia	5.9	5.9	5.7	5.7	5.8	6.0	5.5	5.2	5.6	5.5
Washington	5.8	6.0	5.7	5.7	5.7	6.0	5.4	5.3	5.3	5.4
West Virginia	6.5	6.5	6.9	6.6	5.8	6.6	5.8	5.7	6.8	6.6
Wisconsin	5.2	5.5	5.5	5.3	5.0	5.8	5.2	4.8	5.5	5.4
Wyoming	8.3	8.9	8.4	8.2	8.6	8.2	8.4	8.3	9.0	9.0
Puerto Rico	5.7	4.9	5.4	5.6	5.4	5.3	4.8	4.6	4.9	5.1
Virgin Islands	8.2	6.0	5.6	4.3	4.4	6.8	5.9	4.5	5.1	6.1
Footnotes (1) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. The sum of the states will not necessarily add to the U.S. total because of the independent seasonal adjustment of each state.