Rock Hill's jobless rate fell to 4.4% in September, from 4.9% a year earlier, as 1,503 more residents had jobs. It is still above York County's 3.7%.
Rock Hill’s unemployment rate fell to 4.4% in September, down from 4.9% in September 2025. About 1,500 more city residents had jobs than a year earlier, and 134 fewer were out of work.
The rate also dropped from 5% in August. September’s 4.4% matches April as the lowest monthly rate for Rock Hill since at least January 2025.
The figures are the preliminary September estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Local Area Unemployment Statistics program. The BLS publishes a separate rate for Rock Hill, not only for York County. The figures are not seasonally adjusted, so the fair comparison is with the same month a year earlier.
Rock Hill against its neighbors
Every area in the comparison improved over the year. Rock Hill’s rate is still the highest of the group.
| Area | September 2026 | September 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Mill | 3.3% | 4.0% | down 0.7 points |
| York County | 3.7% | 4.5% | down 0.8 points |
| South Carolina | 3.7% | 4.5% | down 0.8 points |
| United States | 4.0% | 4.3% | down 0.3 points |
| Rock Hill | 4.4% | 4.9% | down 0.5 points |
All rates are not seasonally adjusted. Sources: BLS series for Fort Mill, York County, South Carolina and the United States.
Fort Mill, about seven miles north, again had the lowest rate at 3.3%. York County and the state each fell 0.8 points to 3.7%. Rock Hill’s gap with the county was 0.7 points, down from 0.8 points in August.
The numbers behind the rate
In Rock Hill in September, according to the BLS:
- 41,453 people were in the labor force, up from 40,084 a year earlier.
- 39,637 people had jobs, up from 38,134.
- 1,816 people were unemployed, down from 1,950.
The labor force counts people who have a job or are looking for one. The unemployment rate is the share of the labor force without a job and looking for one. These are counts of Rock Hill residents, wherever they work.
The labor force grew by 1,369 people over the year. The number with jobs rose by 1,503, more than enough to absorb the newcomers.
From August to September, the number of unemployed residents fell by 248. The number with jobs rose by 28, and the labor force shrank by 220. So most of the monthly drop came from people leaving the labor force, not from new jobs.
The past year, month by month
| Month | Rock Hill rate |
|---|---|
| September 2025 | 4.9% |
| October 2025 | not published |
| November 2025 | 5.6% |
| December 2025 | 5.5% |
| January 2026 | 6.0% |
| February 2026 | 6.0% |
| March 2026 | 4.9% |
| April 2026 | 4.4% |
| May 2026 | 4.8% |
| June 2026 | 5.2% |
| July 2026 | 5.0% |
| August 2026 | 5.0% |
| September 2026 | 4.4% (preliminary) |
There is no October 2025 figure in the BLS series. That was the month of the federal government shutdown.
The BLS also revised August. It now counts 41,673 people in Rock Hill’s labor force, 39,609 with jobs and 2,064 unemployed. The August rate stayed at 5%. Our August story carries the first estimates.
What it means for you
- Looking for work: fewer Rock Hill residents were unemployed in September than at any point in the past year except April. The city’s rate is still higher than Fort Mill’s or the county’s.
- Training: the Rock Hill City Council voted Sept. 14 to give $250,000 each to Winthrop University and York Technical College to encourage manufacturing and job growth, Winthrop said in a Sept. 15 release.
- Next figures: September’s numbers are preliminary and can be revised. October figures for cities and counties come next from the BLS. We will report them then.
For new employers and openings, see our list of new businesses in Rock Hill.
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