TIMKEN CONFIRMS 53 LAYOFFS

While manufacturing was a bright spot in the latest South Carolina jobs report, one local manufacturer is experiencing some cutbacks in the current economy.

A spokesperson for The Timken Company confirmed Friday approximately 53 employees were impacted by layoffs at the company’s plant in Gaffney, marking the second round of cuts at the local plant this summer. On June 21, it was confirmed as well, the company had 34 layoffs.

“We continually evaluate our long-term capacity, cost competitiveness and customer demand to ensure staffing levels at our plants are in line with the needs of the market,” Scott Schroeder, a company spokesman, said on Friday. “We’ve seen a decline in market demand for the products we produce at Gaffney and have made the difficult decision to reduce staffing levels by approximately 53 associates today (Friday).”

Schroeder said the company was able to offer some of workers open positions at nearby Timken facilities.

The total number of workers remaining at the Gaffney plant, which is still one of Cherokee County’s largest employers, was not immediately available. Schroeder said the company did not break out headcount by facility but noted that Timken employed more than 1,330 people at five facilities in South Carolina. In terms of total Timken employees per state, Schroeder noted that only Timken’s headquarters state of Ohio has more than South Carolina.

Manufacturing was on the rise across South Carolina in the latest jobs report from the state Department of Employment and Workforce released Friday.

In July, it was estimated, South Carolina saw the total number of people working rise by 6,484 people, allowing the state to once again set a new record for employment. There are now an estimated 2.297 million people working in the Palmetto State.

At the same time, the jobs report shows, unemployment fell from June to July by 1,750 people to a new total of 81,750 people counted as unemployed.

The end result was that South Carolina ended July with a jobless rate of 3.4 percent, down from a June rate of 3.5 percent.

The national rate came in at 3.7 percent in July.

According to the state jobs report, manufacturing led the way in July with an estimated increase of 1,900 jobs. Also gaining jobs were the trade, transportation and utilities sector, which was up by 1,600 jobs; the education and health services sector, which was up by 1,300 jobs; the leisure and hospitality sector, which was up by 300 jobs; and the financial services sector, which was up by 300 jobs.

Job gains were offset by the loss of an estimated 1,500 jobs in the construction sector; a loss of 1,400 jobs in the professional and business services sector; and the loss of 1,400 jobs in the government sector.

Cherokee County had a July unemployment rate of 3.7 percent, down from a June rate of 4 percent. According to estimates, Cherokee County’s labor force dropped by 149 people to 25,815 in July, while the number of people counted as employed fell by 77 to 25,815. The number of people counted as unemployed in Cherokee County, meanwhile, fell by 72 to 957 in July.

A year ago, Cherokee County had an unemployment rate of 4.2 percent.

Among Cherokee County’s neighbors, Spartanburg County’s rate fell from 3.4 percent to 3 percent; Union County’s rate fell from 4.3 percent to 4 percent; and York County’s rate fell from 3.5 percent to 3.2 percent.