Of a population numbering 4,625,364 there are 2,163,109 persons gainfully employed in South Carolina. These persons are divided into industries, 7 of which make up portions larger than 5%: education, sales, administration, production, transportation, healthcare, and the food services each compose a minimum of 100,000 jobs in South Carolina. All of these job demographics rely on energy production to function. The percentage of persons living below the poverty line in South Carolina is within 2 percent of similar statistics in North Carolina and Georgia. Just over 18 percent of the population,or around 860,000 people, lives with an income of less than $23,550. The area also has a large percentage of retirees who rely on fixed incomes and around 10 percent are also under the poverty line. These people are directly impacted by energy rate increases and struggle when weather or other disasters strike.
The Economy in South Carolina is very diversified. There are a variety of large corporations such as Boeing and also many foreign-owned businesses. The overall Unemployment rate in South Carolina stays generally low, with a rate of 6.6 percent in December 2013 and has continued to drop to under 6 percent, the rate fluctuates drastically between counties in the state. An influx in large corporations has kept the unemployment rate low and the trend has created the highest rate of growth in the last 6 years; even as natural disasters struck the state the rate stayed steady. These trends indicate a stable and functioning economy, while not especially rich. The largest growth areas have been the Leisure, Hospitality, Business, and Professional Services. There is new ground being gained in the energy industry, especially with regards to solar and wind. It has yet to be seen how these energy sources will take root in the state.
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