While the job impacts of a foreclosure action filed against Sanders Brothers, a major area employer, remained unclear Friday, the latest estimates from the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce shows Cherokee County’s unemployment rate continues to move in a positive direction.

The county’s jobless rate fell for the fourth straight month in May, falling to 13.5 percent — a rate not seen in well more than a year.

The decline in the county rate mirrored ongoing declines in the statewide unemployment rate, which also fell for the fourth straight month. According to the most recent estimates, South Carolina’s unemployment rate fell to 11 percent in May, down five-tenths of a percentage point from April.

The overall labor force in the state declined, however, by more than 7,600 last month, which can be indicative that some unemployed people have dropped out of the labor force and given up their search for jobs. At the same time, state analysts estimated, South Carolina’s total employment increased by 3,302.

On a county level, state analysts estimated Cherokee County’s labor force at 25,285 in May, up slightly from the previous month but down roughly 1,000 from a year ago.

The number of unemployed, meanwhile, was estimated at 3,415 in May, down almost 1,000 compared to just four months ago, when the unemployment rate first started successive months of decline.

The national jobless rate, meanwhile, decreased to 9.7 percent.

“We are encouraged by the trends of the last few months while, at the same time, cautious since state and local budgets face serious shortfalls and the national economy remains fragile,” remarked John Finan, executive director of the state Department of Employment and Workforce. “With that in mind, we at SC DEW have pledged to work harder than ever with our workforce system partners to better connect the state’s job-seekers with viable employment opportunities,” he said.

The latest jobs report showed non-farm jobs increased by 22,100 in May, with increases in nine major industry divisions. Analysts saw gains in retail trade, leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, as well as the hard-hit manufacturing and construction sectors.

Government jobs, however, accounted for much of overall gains with as many as 8,500 people going to work for the Census.

“Without that boost, private sector employment slipped slightly in May,” noted Dr. Don Schunk, research economist at Coastal Carolina University. “As Census hiring fades in the coming months, South Carolina’s employment recovery will face a significant test: Is there enough private sector momentum building in the economy to keep the recovery moving forward as Federal Census and stimulus effects wane?”