Palmetto Business Barometer Check-In

In January, the SC Chamber and the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce teamed up to launch the Palmetto Business Barometer, a voluntary monthly survey to better understand the conditions that South Carolina employers are facing and inform the public about the state’s economy and workforce. The survey measures conditions and attitudes over time with an emphasis on workforce behaviors. Each month, a survey is released for two weeks for business leaders and owners to complete anonymously. After two weeks, the survey closes, and experts convert the data into graphs and charts. Six months of surveys are now complete, and the seventh survey will open on July 3rd.

With increased survey participation, patterns, and trends are beginning to be formed and identified. For example, in January 2023, 45 percent of businesses said that none of their workforce was engaging in remote work remotely; however, in May 2023, 66 percent of businesses said that none of their workforce is engaging in remote work. Over time, more businesses also self-disclosed they anticipate it will be more difficult to find qualified workers in six months – in January 35 percent said it would be, and in May 42 percent it would be. View the data from the past six months by clinking here.