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COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- State officials are getting ready to release South Carolina's unemployment rate for April.

The jobless rate has declined for eight straight months, falling to 8.9 percent in March. That's the lowest unemployment rate since it hit 8.8 percent in December 2008.

The unemployment rate was 10.4 percent in March 2011.

South Carolina had the ninth highest unemployment rate in the country last month, still over the national rate of 8.2 percent.

April's state unemployment rate will be released Friday morning.

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