South Carolina unemployment inches upward during March

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina’s unemployment rate has inched upward after several straight months of declines.

The Department of Employment and Workforce said Tuesday that the state’s jobless rate was 6.7 percent in March.

That’s a tenth of a percentage point higher than the three months before. Nationally, unemployment was unchanged, at 5.5 percent.

In March, state officials say the number of South Carolinians working increased by more than 5,800 and reached another historic high, with an estimated 2,096,110 people.

Officials said last month was the 64th month in a row that employment grew in South Carolina.

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Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP