COLUMBIA, S.C. - The unemployment rate in South Carolina dipped to 6 percent in December, a month after the state's unemployment rate reached a six-year high at 6.3 percent, the Employment Security Commission said Tuesday.

The rate mirrored the national rate, which remained at 6 percent for the second straight month.

"Getting these numbers down is critical to our economic development efforts," Gov. Mark Sanford said. "We're pleased to see a dip, but if we really want to make a dent in unemployment we've got to focus on small business growth and development here in South Carolina."

In November, the state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate outpaced the national rate by three-tenths of a point. The state's unadjusted rate was 5.9 percent.

Fewer people seeking work drove the state rate down three-tenths of a point, the commission said. Slower-than-normal hiring in retail during the holidays may have kept some workers out of the job market, labor officials said.

Nonfarm employment declined by 3,800 jobs in December. Services shed 3,900 jobs because of a seasonal slowdown in tourism. About 2,200 manufacturing jobs were lost, with most of those losses concentrated in apparel and other textiles.