Employment Security Commission faces challenging downturn
By Meagan Dugger
Hayes Faulkenberry, a 2008 graduate of Clemson University, says he feels lucky to be employed and that makes him a bit of a rarity among his friends.
Faulkenberry received a B.S. in marketing, with a concentration in entrepreneurship. He works in sales for his father's company, Global Packaging Solutions out of Rock Hill, S.C. Though Faulkenberry is employed, he said many of his friends from school are not.
"It's rough out there, and it's pretty bleak. A lot of my friends that don't have family businesses to fall back on are living at home and job hunting. They've really had to open up their horizons to places outside the state because of South Carolina's deflated economy," he said of his peers.
Faulkenberry added that even those who graduated with honors and with GPA's much higher than his cannot find jobs easily.
"There are kids that did way better than me and still can't find jobs. I'm just really thankful and lucky I guess," he said.
Faulkenberry said some of his friends were forced to attend graduate school, even if the higher degree was not part of their original plans.
"There's nothing else for them. There's nothing out there right now so they'll bide their time until the economy becomes more stable," he said.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in September that South Carolina has the fifth highest unemployment rate in the nation, with 11.6 percent of the total population being unemployed. This rate is higher than the national average, 10.3 percent, recorded in October 2009. The nation's current rate is the highest recorded since April of 1983.
According to the S.C. Employment Security Commission, Columbia's unemployment rate rose to 9.4 percent in September of 2009, up from 6.5 percent in September of 2008.
Though the job market is still tight, Director of Communications for the state Employment Security Commission, Clark Newsom, is anticipating a more stable economy to arrive soon,
"Employers have cut back but things are beginning to improve. Some [employers] are starting to rehire and more will be rehiring in the future," he said.
Newsom said that the commission is tackling unemployment statewide with 36 locations and 12 workforce centers that link employers with qualified laborers.
"We're working very hard to see what employers want in employees. Last year we put 40,000 people back to work in South Carolina and we are continuing to work as hard as we can to place as many people as possible," said Newsom.
In 2008, the commisson had more than 500,000 people come through the agency looking for a job. More than 193,000 people were placed successfully, and of those, 120,000 were receiving unemployment checks. Forty percent of all people employed in South Carolina are placed by the commission.
"This is the worst recession that any of us have seen in our lifetime and a lot of things are being done to increase employment," said Newsom.
Newsom said that the rise in unemployment has brought more college graduates than before, which provides for businesses a better pool of applicants to choose from. Though many want to be relocated with a job, and some have had to take demotions, others also seek a career change and turn to the job agency for help.
Codi Hudgins, a fifth year visual communications student, saw firsthand that the current state of the economy can promote career changes. Hudgins recently changed majors to visual communications from public relations in an effort to avoid graduating during this tumultuous time.
"I just switched my major for the fifth time before going into this year because I have nothing better to do," she said.
"Everyone I know that graduated decided to go to graduate school or are sitting around because they just can't find jobs. I don't want to be like that."
Hudgins said that although she does not exactly know what she wants to do upon graduation, she knows it will not be within her home state of South Carolina due to the job outlook.
"I have no idea what I want to do, but I won't live in South Carolina because there's nothing here. I used to think about Charleston, but now I'm thinking about the outskirts of New York, somewhere that I can find something to do," said Hudgins.
Though Newsom is optimistic, residents and graduates entering the job market do not share the same feelings.
"I would've probably opened a bar," joked Faulkenberry on what he would be doing otherwise.
"For the job security, you know. Economy goes down, liquor sales rise." RCT
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