York County's unemployment rate shot up to 6.8 percent in May, a 1.1 percentage point increase from April and the fourth-highest increase in the state, according to a report released Friday by the S.C. Employment Security Commission.
Almost 7,300 York County workers were jobless in May, an increase of more than 1,200 from April, the report states. It's the highest jobless rate in York County since February 2006 when 7 percent of workers were unemployed.
Statewide, unemployment rose to 6.5 percent, the highest jobless rate since January 2006. Nationally, the unemployment rate is 6 percent.
State officials blame South Carolina's increase on the continued decline in construction jobs in a gloomy housing market and lost jobs in the manufacturing sector; each lost 400 jobs statewide in May. Officials also attribute the spike to high gas prices and food costs that are pushing more workers into the job market looking for extra cash to make ends meet, according to the report released Friday.