The S.C. Employment Security Commission gave The T&D Region some good news Thursday. The unemployment rate during March dropped from February totals in all counties.

Orangeburg County reported 8.9 percent unemployment in March. The February rate was 10.6 percent.

The rate in Bamberg County stood at 4.3 percent in March, compared to 4.9 percent in February.

Calhoun County dropped .9 percent from 5.9 percent in February to 5.0 percent in March.

Dorchester County, with one of the lowest rates in the state, slid from 4.0 percent in February to 3.4 percent unemployment in March.

The 11.2 percent in February for Barnwell County was reduced to 9.4 percent in March.

With 2.7 percent in March, Lexington County's rate improved from February's 3.2 percent rate.

Williamsburg County still had the highest rate in the state with 14.6 percent in March. Williamsburg had the largest improvement in the state for March. The February percentage was 18.2 percent.

Beaufort County continues to report the lowest rate in the state. The March rate was 2.5 percent, an improvement over the 3.2 percent in February.

Statewide, the rate fell from 6.2 percent in February to 5.9 percent in March.

According to the commission, the total non-farm job count rose 7,000 in March, much smaller than typical for the month. The number of workers added from February to March averaged 20,000 during the last 10 years.

The increase in non-farm employment was based largely in the leisure and hospitality sectors with 6,400 new jobs, while accommodation and food services added 5,600 jobs. Retail trade contributed a below-average 1,200 jobs. The state and local government sector added 1,600.

Offsetting the additions, manufacturing dropped 1,500 jobs in March, and there were 1,400 fewer construction jobs. Professional and business services dropped by 600.

Nationally, the unemployment rate for March was 5.8 percent.

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