Charleston | SC | USA

Labor & Employment Stats

The Charleston region offers local employers a growing pool of 400,000+ skilled workers. The region’s education and workforce training system continues to build a solid base of technically-skilled workers in engineering, information technology and more.

Civilian Workforce

Civilian Workforce20142024% ChangeForecast 2025
Labor Force353,485441,30024.8%450,100
Employed334,555425,90027.3%434,000
Unemployed18,93015,400-16,100
Unemployment Rate (%)5.4%3.5%-3.6%
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; 2025 Forecast from Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce

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Expanded Labor Pool

Expanded Labor Pool
Commuters into MSA80,000
Commuters out of MSA67,700
Military Retirees15,500
Enrolled in local colleges/universities45,900
Annual Post-Secondary Degrees Conferred 7,500
Annual High School Graduates 8,100
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Education, S.C. Military Base Task Force, and S.C. Department of Education, 1/2025

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Employment by Industry

NAICS = North American Industry Classification System; Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics (CES).

Unionization Rate

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