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COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- The agency that tracks South Carolina's unemployment rate is downsizing.

The Department of Employment and Workforce said Monday it would cut more than 130 jobs statewide. The cuts begin this month and are expected to be completed by June.

Officials say the reductions come after the elimination of federal funding for emergency compensation and extended benefits programs. Executive director Abraham Turner says people receiving benefits from the agency will not be affected by the cuts.

South Carolina's jobless rate held fast at 9.6 percent in August, essentially remaining the same as in July. That figure placed state unemployment as the sixth-highest in the nation.

September numbers are scheduled Friday.