Lancaster County’s unemployment rate reached 17.5 percent in January.
That’s up three points since December 2008, when the unemployment rate totaled 14.5 percent.
David Veal, assistant area director for the S.C. Employment Security Commission, said layoffs and closings at Josalyn Clark, Springs Global, U.S. Textile, Wellman Inc. and ZF Lemforder contributed to the increase.
Duracell has also shut down a few times for a week, with the company filing for unemployment benefits for workers, Veal said.