The economic impact of South Carolina 's automotive cluster

Abstract

This executive summary highlights the results of an in-depth, comprehensive economic study of South Carolina’s automotive and ground transportation cluster. The study shows that the auto cluster plays a unique role in economic development. Notably, few other sectors of the economy have the real potential to scale up employment, which is the most pressing economic imperative in South Carolina today. Automotive and ground transportation-related businesses contribute to approximately 5.4 percent of the state’s employment base, according to 2008 data compiled by the Division of Research. Importantly, the employment multipliers for each job created in South Carolina are unparalleled. For the automotive-related sectors examined in this study, the job impacts are higher than any other specific sector or industry.