UPSTATE COMMUTER SHED
INDUSTRY INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS OF TRADED CLUSTERS
Labor Force (10/2022)
193,542
The Union Spartanburg Commuter Shed
Unemployment Rate (10/2022)
3.74%
The Union Spartanburg Commuter Shed
Employment Number (10/2022)
186,298
The Union Spartanburg Commuter Shed
Net Jobs Gained Over 10 Years
32,620 Jobs
The Union Spartanburg Commuter Shed
TOP CLUSTERS
The Traded Clusters within the Union / Spartanburg Commuter Shed with the highest 2019 employment numbers in excess of 5,000 were Distribution and Electronic Commerce, and Business Services.
Within these, growth can be seen between 2010 and 2019 in the Distribution and Electronic Commerce.
JOB CREATION
Distribution and Electronic Commerce added 1,152, while Financial Services added 835. Areas of loss during this time include Vulcanized and Fired Materials. It should be noted, however, that there was a net loss of 17,973 jobs between 2010 and 2019.
EMPLOYMENT
Following a rapid decline in Textile Manufacturing between 1998 and 2002, employment within several of the major Traded Clusters within the commuter shed tracked with overall employment trends during this same period showing a sharp decline between 2008 and 2010 following the great recession and a slow recovery or flat growth between 2009 and 2014.
A notable cluster during this period of recession and recovery is the Automotive cluster. Automotive saw a sharp decline between 2008 and 2011 but has seen a rapid recovery between 2011 and 2014 as illustrated below. As underscored in the prior job creation section, the Automotive cluster continued its recovery through 2019 as BMW continued to expand, adding approximately 1,100 jobs in that year.
Distribution and Electronic Commerce has steadily rebounded, although has not fully recovered to pre-recession job levels.
Total employment among all traded clusters within the commuter shed has not returned to levels seen in year 2000 of approximately 75,000 jobs. However, continued growth within Automotive and Distribution and Electronic Commerce in particular point toward continued overall recovery and return to 2000 levels with a more diverse overall economy as the commuter shed moves away from Textile Manufacturing as a major employment base.