The South Carolina Employment Security Commission generates and distributes information received from employers on a regular basis.  The unemployment rate is released monthly, and employment by industry information provides an idea of the trends in the state's economy.  The Commission can be accessed at www.sces.org/lmi .  Economic data are also available from the U. S. Bureau of the Census and other sources.  Catawba Regional COG gathers much of this data and makes it available in useful form to local governments.