December 2018 Features

• Special Report: Employment Data, Plus Recent South Carolina College Grads Find a Welcoming Job Market

  December 21, 2018

  A recent survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers found 96 percent of employers plan to maintain or increase hiring in 2019. That includes 38.6 percent of respondents who said they planned to increase hiring.

• Gallup: The Most Generous Countries in the World

  December 21, 2018

  The United States is often considered the most generous country in the world. Why? Because Americans donate a lot of money. Its people, its foundations and its companies donated roughly $410 billion in 2017 -- or about 2.1% of its own GDP. In fact, the amount Americans donated was more than the entire GDP of all but about 40 countries in the world.

• South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs Launches Fresh New Website

  December 20, 2018

  The South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs is proud to announce the launch of its new website at https://consumer.sc.gov/.

• Exclusive Report: Wages, Income Nudge Forward in Parts of South Carolina

  December 18, 2018

  A recent survey by Allianz Life Insurance Co. revealed that 23 percent of Americans were concerned by stagnant wages, compared to 30 percent in 2017. Among millennials, 29 percent had wage concerns, compared to 37 percent last year.

• Gov. Henry McMaster Replaces Membership of S.C. State Election Commission

  December 14, 2018

  Governor Henry McMaster announced four appointments to the five-member South Carolina State Election Commission. The appointments replace all four members of the commission serving in expired terms of office.

• Grants Awarded to Improve 21 South Carolina Communities

  December 13, 2018

  More than 20 communities across South Carolina are slated to benefit from public improvement projects supported by more than $7.6 million in funds from the latest round of Community Development Block Grant funding.

• South Caolina-based Elliott Davis’ ENVISION Program Named No. 1 Accounting Internship in the U.S.

  December 12, 2018

  Elliott Davis announces that for the second straight year its summer internship program, ENVISION, has been ranked the No. 1 accounting internship in the United States by Vault, an influential source of ratings and insights for students and professionals. ENVISION was also rated the No. 3 internship overall on Vault’s annual 50 Best Internships rankings, regardless of industry.

• Tariff Tussles: Economists Expect S.C. to Bounce Back

  December 10, 2018

  Retaliatory tariffs imposed by China, Canada, Mexico and the European Union have created challenges for South Carolina exports for 2018, but the state could benefit under new trade agreements being negotiated.

• Special Report: Panel Talks Opportunity Zones, Could Help Struggling S.C. Communities

  December 07, 2018

  Curtis Loftis, Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin and ex-Gov. Jim Hodges participated in a panel at the conference, held Dec. 4 at the USC Alumni Center. Jeanne Milliken Bonds, community development officer with the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, led the discussion.

• Special Report: USC Economists Forecast Continued Growth Despite Uncertainty

  December 06, 2018

  As the U.S. economy pushes toward a record, South Carolinians should expect continued job creation and growth in personal income in 2019, according to experts at the University of South Carolina.

• UofSC Economists: Tariffs to Tug at SC Economic Growth in 2019

  December 05, 2018

  Although market fundamentals — jobs, income and consumer spending — remain strong, rising interest rates and changes in international trade policy, including tariffs, threaten to temper economic growth in 2019, according to two University of South Carolina economists at the Darla Moore School of Business.

• Exclusive: South Carolina City Receives Recognition for Inclusiveness in High Tech

  December 03, 2018

  This South Carolina city was recently listed among “eight of America’s most digitally inclusive tech cities” in an article from The Brookings Institution. The article pointed out that tech skills are unevenly spread across the economy.